


Inaccessible Cardinal Merlin- The Triple O's Mightiest God Magic Conduit

by FSAppaneestyUOZC99999999Supremum



Series: Merlin IC Series [1]
Category: Cardcaptor Sakura, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Almighty Magic, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Magic, Magic Revealed, Multi, Omnipotence, Open Eternal Bonds, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sex Magic, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:28:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23224786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FSAppaneestyUOZC99999999Supremum/pseuds/FSAppaneestyUOZC99999999Supremum
Summary: In the land of Modern Scotland and a time of waning magic; the survival and destiny of everything the Triple Goddess created rests on the shoulders of a man older than Nicholas Flamel. His name is Merlin, Merlin's Inaccessible Cardinal, Almightiest Counterpart in the entire Omni Omega Omnisphere, and the legend he fathered has only just started.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Merlin/Cardcaptor Sakura, Merlin/Dominique Weasley, Merlin/Gabrielle Delacour, Merlin/Lily Luna Potter, Merlin/Luna Lovegood, Merlin/Victoire Weasley
Series: Merlin IC Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669891
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	1. A Train Ride to Forever Remember

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nor do I make any profits off this whatsoever._

_Dedication: To all of you, my ever-faithful readers; hopefully this will be a breath of fresh air for those of you who don't care for Pokemon quite as much._

Merlin IC- The Omni Omega Omnisphere's Mightiest GOC

Chapter One: A Train Ride to Forever Remember

_Dear Martin Emrys_

_I am pleased to inform you that your admission form to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a transfer student has been heartily approved. I must say, we've not had a transfer student from all the way across the pond for the better half of the century; and I hope you find your accommodations and the education you will receive here with us to your satisfaction. Please report to the Headmaster's Office once you arrive so that we may test you to see what year would be most suited to your current level of knowledge and understanding regarding magic._

_Here's hoping you enjoy your stay here with us and best of luck on the train ride; times in Wizarding Britain are quite a bit darker than you might be used to but rest assured Hogwarts has some of the best and most fortifying magical wards and defenses one can ask for. Enclosed within this letter is a list of all the books you will need for each year at Hogwarts; if needed the Hogwarts Trust Fund can provide you with the money for all these books, but I would recommend buying all of them… just in case. You never know when these books might come in handy. Best of luck my young friend._

_Yours Truly_

_Albus PWB Dumbledore_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts_

_PS: The password into my office is Lemon Drops; and speaking of Lemon Drops, you're always welcome to one when we have the pleasure of meeting. I find them extraordinarily helpful in stimulating one's mental faculties; not that I'm lacking in that regard. I once heard this Muggle saying that when you get old the mind is the first thing to go; I guess that isn't always the gospel truth though as I have yet to go senile, but I digress. Forgive this old man's ramblings my friend; I wish you all the best Mr. Emrys._

Merlin smiled fondly while remembering the letter he had gotten from the surprisingly eccentric Headmaster verbatim. Having an eidetic memory had its uses. Merlin prided himself on his own eccentricities and always related best to those select few wizards and witches who somehow managed to be utterly brilliant in that maddening sort of way; the way that made you wonder whether they were mental, ingenious, or maybe both. Over the years, he'd concluded that for all the misconceptions people made regarding the Arthurian Legends; there were at least three things they got right.

Number one being of course that Merlin was easily and by far the most powerful magic-user to ever walk the earth; and with over a thousand years of immortality and walking the earth learning every branch of magic there was, and an encounter with an Infinite-Dimensional Entity calling himself AIC, Merlin was now more powerful than any other God Magic Conduit or ZOF Prodigy as AIC called them.

The second thing they got right, was of course Merlin's eccentric and one-of-a-kind personality in certain versions of the stories of old; being almost 1500-years-old, Merlin had developed a rather odd habit of picking up rather odd habits. It was a good way to mix things up, and it kept people on their toes when they were around him and his manner of speech or his attire. He supposed he just liked messing with people; albeit only in fun and never with the intention of being delICerately hurtful or cruel. He was also the master of magical pranks and prank wars; and in all modesty, those Weasley Twins and the infamous Marauders could learn a thing or two from him if he said so himself. When one lived as long as he did, they needed to keep learning, trying new things, and breaking the monotony by doing strange and extravagant things… all so they didn't stagnate.

Finally, the last thing they managed to get right was that Merlin was also sometimes depicted as an old man; but what most people didn't realize was that it was a temporary transformation and Merlin was younger than Arthur when he started out. Shit talking everybody as Dragoon the Great had obviously left a memorable impression on the annals of history; and it only increased Merlin's amusement when he realized almost nobody had a clue that he was not actually as old as the aging spell tended to indicate. Well he was now, but ultimately, he still looked same as when Arthur had died; though eternally less haunted and burdened by the weight of his destiny on his shoulders.

Remembering Arthur's final words to never change, Merlin had taken that to heart and in all his countless years he was still much the same person he had been. He'd also made peace with Arthur's death a long time ago and went on living his immortal life and operating as an agent from behind the shadows. He felt a sense of peace that he hadn't felt during the final years of Camelot. Sure, losing his friends and family in his original home had been heart breaking, but while he would last forever he understood that not everything did. At least now he had the power to make others with abilities like his whenever he pleased; though he'd have to be careful about the people he chose to bestow them to. He'd had some truly amazing times over the centuries and would often find himself reminiscing fondly about the past.

Sure, most of his friendships had the bittersweet taste that came with being an immortal; but for every friend he lost he gained at least three more, and if he was ever feeling particularly lonely he could always summon the spirits of the departed and accept wisdom, counsel, guidance, and even companionship from the friends he lost. Granted, while he could resurrect the dead it was unwise and extremely selfish of him to bring anybody back permanently. The ones who loved him never truly left him, hell; he'd spoken with Arthur's spirit just recently and while he gave Merlin a hard time about when he'd be back from the dead the two of them had a good time that day. Of course, Merlin knew there was now more to his destiny than uniting the land of Albion and bringing back the Old Magic into the new world.

That wasn't to say he wouldn't be there when Arthur came back to lead the world into a new age of magic and wonder; but being free from destiny and everything else had given Merlin a sense of control over his own life that he never thought possICle. He'd have to thank that AIC guy next time he saw him; however eccentric the original ZOF prodigy was even by Merlin's standards, he was also the reason Merlin had become the most powerful God Magic Conduit in his and every other Omega Omnisphere, save Amber Thompson herself of course.

There was one thing AIC said that unnerved him a little however, and he allowed himself to look back on it as he continued aimlessly wandering around the Train in order to find that confounded empty compartment. ' _So, I'm truly invincICle now then_?' Merlin had asked him. ' _Yes and no_ ,' had been the man's simple reply, utterly baffling Merlin with it all. ' _What the bloody hell does that mean? How can I be invincICle and yet not_?' He confusedly asked. ' _It means that while you will be beyond infinity, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omni-Totality, Eventuality, Actuality, Causality, and free from all constraints and limitations including Destiny, Death, Life, Paradoxes, and all others; the Dark Side of the ZOF will inevitably create an Entity to serve as your antithesis. One who will have all the supreme mystical Metapotence that you do but with none of your mortal constraints. The ESIT may also try to bond you forever with a suitable love mate to keep you in check; my recommendation is to trust its judgement when this happens because once you find this Soul Mate of yours you'll never have imagined that you could have been so happy before in your life_.'

Sufficed to say, AIC's words had left a lasting impression on Merlin, or as he knew he was now known; Merlin IC, which stood for Infinity and Beyond. He'd spent the last fifty-years or so sanctifying this incredible gift he'd been given. He kept to the shadows in all that time even as the temptation to get involved in events once more became increasingly more powerful; eventually however, he knew he would have to take a more proactive role in the destiny of one Harry James Potter. Voldemort's return last year and the Ministry's steady decline and incompetence were the last straws for Merlin; and so, he had posed as a 15-year-old teenage boy and subscribed for a student transfer into Hogwarts.

Merlin's Meta-Omniscience of all things with regards to magic didn't extend to future events or spoilers, he usually left prophecies and all that speaking in riddles in the more than capable hands of either Aithusa or Kilgharrah, the two ancient and great dragons he'd deified as ZOF enhanced Dragon Gods. That said, the ancient warlock was aware of the means through which Voldemort achieved his own immortality; and knew he would need a way to leak that information to Harry and his friends without being too conspicuous about just how much he knew. He also knew he'd need to get some of the details concerning Harry's previous years at Hogwarts straightened out; the Chamber of Secrets and Ginny Weasley being under magical duress because something told him that was important. Merlin didn't want to directly involve himself or to use his name since people in modern Wizarding society saw him as the capital-D Deity of all magic. And while that wasn't necessarily untrue in terms of the sheer power he possessed, Merlin had always been extraordinarily uncomfortable with the idea of being put on such a lofty and grandiose pedestal.

Perfect power and knowledge of all things magical in the past and present as well as in every dimension and parallel; did not equate with perfection in every sense and aspect. And Merlin hated the idea of being treated as someone other than what he was, a goofy, clever, witty, and barmy-as-all-hell bloke who for whatever reason… had been chosen by the God Magic and the ZOF themselves to wield the most unfathomable magical power in the Infinite-Dimensional Reality.

Merlin was happy and content with his own life, and what AIC said to him about his antithesis sounded like Morganna might come back; but he didn't care how powerful the dark side of the ZOF made her. He'd take her on and he'd beat her again just like he did everything else. He was tired of operating behind the scenes, and now the time had come for him to take a more proactive role in the destinies of people like Harry Potter. His last conversation with Arthur's spirit had been very illuminating; and the royal prat of a King kept insisting he needed to get himself a girlfriend.

Merlin had only had a select few relationships over the past Millennium and a half; one of whom had been the most brilliant and beautiful witch he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing… Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Merlin had qualities from all four Houses of Hogwarts, and had been there when the old school was built; right on top of where the Kingdom of Camelot used to be centuries earlier. But despite that he was friends with all four of the founders and despite his sympathy for Salazar having to deal with having the worst reputation of the four houses; Rowena would always have a special place in Merlin's heart. Still, he wasn't the type to base his personal happiness on romantic love; he was content with his life exactly the way it was. Still, if anyone took an interest in him for him and not all that Emrys nonsense; well, he could honestly say he wouldn't be opposed.

"Bloody hell, what does it take to find an empty compartment on this confounded train?!" Merlin finally demanded tersely, speaking aloud for the first time with the same voice he'd always had, but laced with far greater wisdom than he'd ever had in the BBC Television series; even if right now he was being anything but wise. He immediately brightened upon remembering that he was going to be at Hogwarts in a few hours; unable to dwell in his annoyance for too long these days. He couldn't wait to hear the Sorting Hat's reaction when it recognized and sorted him for the umpteenth time; God knows the Goblins nearly shat themselves when he kindly asked for access to his vault for the first time in centuries.

He had limitless funds in gold with the goblins, having helped build Gringotts from the underground up with the help of the then leader of the entire Goblin nation. He also had countless ancient tomes, magical artefacts, and other such things of priceless value and unimaginable power. He'd grown past the need for most of the things in his vault around 200 years ago; his magic having grown so strong by then that he was essentially omnificent with his conjuration abilities. Now though, he'd need access to his vaults and his endless ocean of Galleons if he was going to procure a wand he had absolutely no need of, as well as blend in with the countless other students attending the school.

The time had come for him to see if old Godric was right about him being rubbish at blending in among his fellow magical beings. It was funny, he could blend in better when he had to pretend to have no magic at all and when his life was potentially on the line; (not that he couldn't have escaped from Uther's mundane methods of killing off sorcerers, any powerful enough being of magic could have fought their way out if necessary) but when he was free to use any magic at all, he tended to have difficulty gauging just how magical he should come across as to other wizards and witches.

"It would be nice to see Hogwarts again," Merlin mused aloud, feeling his modified Sidhe Staff securely fastened inside his wand holster, which was attached to the hip of his pants. His trunk had been loaded into storage only moments before, and had multiple levels each with undetectable extension charms and ancient magic protecting it from all manners of intrusion… including omnipotent ones. He reached the end of the Train car that held the Gryffindor students and stopped when he heard voices. "I'm surprised the Ministry is letting you go free Potter; better enjoy it while you can. I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it," a snobbish, arrogant voice proclaimed from the compartment directly in front of Merlin at the very end of the Train car.

There was some shuffling in that compartment as the boy Merlin recognized as the self-important fool of a Malfoy heir was tossed out of that compartment and a raven-haired boy was held back by two others while attempting to lunge at him. "Just stay the fuck away from me Malfoy!" Harry Potter himself cussed loudly, seemingly not caring if anyone heard him as Malfoy seemed to contemplate whether to actually leave while he still could. Merlin couldn't help shaking his head in disappointment as he slowly approached Malfoy and his two cronies. Human stupidity was apparently as infinite as the Omni Omega Omnisphere however, because Malfoy continued needling.

"Or you'll what Potter, I'm the Slytherin prefect; you can't touch me and I can dock you points for trying. You wouldn't want to cost your fellow Gryffindors the House Cup on the first day. Then again, you'd be setting a new-record; putting your house in the red before term even starts," Malfoy threatened him as Merlin sighed again and a pretty, bushy haired brunette Merlin recognized as Hermione Granger suddenly stepped forward in defense of Harry. "That's not going to happen Draco; in case you haven't noticed we've got Prefect badges to. You won't be docking any of us points on either unfounded grounds or for unfair reasons; and if you try to force it I'll take the matter to the Headmaster. Do I make myself clear?" the girl told him off warningly, her present-day confidence belying the unsure bookworm Merlin knew she had been as an 11-year-old first-year.

Draco's eyes fell on the Prefect badges prominently displayed on both Hermione and Ron Weasley's robes, and he smirked. "Too bad Potter, it must burn you to know that Mudblood Granger and Weaselby became Prefects and you didn't," Malfoy taunted, and now Merlin felt it was a good time to step in. He was planning on integrating himself into Harry's entourage at one point anyways and now was as good as time as any to make his typical bizarre first impression. Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Merlin calmly covered the remaining distance between himself and the arrogant prat.

"Old Sally would be shaking his head in disappointment at his own house I reckon. It's people like you who give the proud house of Slytherin a bad name; you said your name was Malfoy was it," Merlin piped up, grabbing the attention of everyone present including the sneering Malfoy brat, Granger, Weasley, and Potter; all three of whom stood between Malfoy and the compartment they no doubt planned to use. They hadn't even had a chance to get properly settled in on the train, since it just left the station; and already this tosspot was laying into them like his life depended on it. Merlin would have to have a chat with Salazar's portrait once he reached the Headmaster's office, about the seriously falling standards of wizards and witches in his house.

"I'm sorry, who are you," Malfoy said once he recovered from the strangeness of Merlin's statement, in a tone that indicated he was anything but sorry. Merlin's cheeky smile widened, "alright that's enough, you've had your fun; now be on your way my friend," Merlin said, while making a shooing motion with his hands to usher Malfoy away.

"Ha, we're not friends; I'd never be friends with someone who sides with Saint Potter and his pathetic friends," Malfoy retorted. "And I'd never be friends with someone who is such an ass, so skip that last part of my statement and be on your way please," Merlin replied coyly; earning a collective chuckle from Ron and Harry along with a female giggle in the compartment behind them. Even stickler-of-the-rules Hermione looked like she was fighting a smile.

Malfoy's face flushed with anger, "mind your attitude; I'm a Hogwarts Prefect," he told him, while Merlin bowed before him mockingly. "Ah, forgive me; I said you were an ass, I simply forgot that you were a royal one," he retorted, in a fashion similar to his first conversation with Arthur as Ron and even Harry both roared with laughter. Merlin regarded Malfoy with amusement; seeing the poor boy turning all shades of red as he continued to trounce the brat in their ongoing war of words. But Merlin supposed, after bantering with Arthur for years and Rowena's razor sharp wits; that not much else could compare. This ponce was completely out of his league.

"You'd better watch your mouth, who are you anyway; I'm reporting you for badmouthing a Prefect," Malfoy threatened in what he hoped was a menacing and intimidating manner; but Merlin was not cowed in the slightest. "The name's Martin Emrys if you must know; and you're very welcome to try. But seeing as I'm a transfer student from across the Atlantic I have yet to be sorted into a house you can take points from; and as these Gryffindors already established you can't unlawfully take away points from them while miss Granger and mister Weasley are present here. Now, for the last time; I'd recommend you leave mister Malfoy. I am in a far less compromising position to deal with the likes of you than these people are; and unfortunately for you, I've never set much store by the rules of Schools," Merlin had finally had enough, slipping into a more serious tone of voice as Malfoy recognized the veiled threat and retreated with his ever-silent duo of trolls who did little more than clench their fists tighter while Merlin had verbally mutilated Malfoy.

Satisfied that the prince of prats had gotten the message; Merlin was drawn out of his thoughts when the redheaded Weasley looked at him like Christmas had come early. "That was brilliant, never seen anyone get the better of Malfoy like that before," Ron remarked excitedly as Merlin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Thanks for that assessment… Ron was it; I know your names, for obvious reasons of course," Merlin said with a maddening grin, knowing that first impressions could be delicate things and wanting to make a good one on Harry and the others. Still, if he wasn't able to be himself, then befriending these remarkable younglings would've been a meaningless endeavor. He wanted to show them that he was just the same as the rest of them, so when the time came for them to know the truth they might not see him as a God as so many others before them had.

"Hey, thanks for sticking up for us, we've been putting up with that ass for years now; I'm Harry, these are my friends Ron and Hermione. There's also Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom in this compartment behind us as well," Harry introduced himself and his friends as Merlin nodded with a smile. "Must be something, being instantly recognizable for something you don't even remember doing; hell, I've never put much stock on the whole Boy-Who-Lived nonsense. To me, a man is not defined by the circumstances of his birth but by the choices he makes when he's old enough to make his own decisions.

It is nice to finally met the man behind all those stories though Harry; and of course, this lovely lady is no doubt Hermione Granger, and you're undoubtedly Ronald Weasley. It's so nice to finally meet you all," Merlin said in a calculated manner; knowing how much he had hated being associated with all those Emrys legends and figuring Harry felt much the same about the legends surrounding his supposed accomplishments as a 1-year-old baby. Harry smiled genuinely at that, unable to remember the last time someone had ever seen him as just Harry and not by his title; it was oddly refreshing to be a regular person.

"Nice to meet ya mate," Ron introduced himself casually, and Hermione beamed when he called her a lovely lady. Martin was relieved and overjoyed he had been able to make a good first impression; having not had such fun interacting with humans in a long time. Hermione immediately noticed the strange manner in which he was dressed; including the fez atop his head, the out-of-date bowtie, and brown tweed jacket. Merlin had gotten the idea of fashion from a TV series called Doctor Who back in the sixties; and given his completely non-conformist attitude wearing something outdated by practically a hundred seasons was his style. He smiled sheepishly at her quietly observing him, whereas both Harry and Ron didn't even give it a second glance.

"Anyways Harry; Ron and I really need to be in the Prefect's Compartment for the meeting, we're already late after that scuffle with Malfoy," Hermione reminded him as she and Ron gazed at Harry apologetically. "It's fine you guys, I'll see you when you get back," he briskly responded, and Merlin got the distinct impression he was brushing them off slightly as Hermione pulled Ron by the arm out of the compartment and opposite the direction Merlin had come in. She cast Harry one last sympathetic look over her shoulder, and then she and Ron were gone.

"Harry, you and your friend can come in here with me, there's lots of room. It's just me, Neville, and Loony Lovegood. She's a bit of an odd duck, but she's alright," another voice called out to Harry that Merlin recognized as Ginny Weasley. "Coming Ginny," Harry replied, both him and Merlin standing outside the compartment.

"If I might impose upon you Harry; I really hope you don't mind, everywhere else is full," Merlin asked him politely. Harry shrugged noncommittally, saying something about how Ginny already said he could go in with them; and that was all the permission Merlin needed as he immediately took the seat nearest the window and proceeded to stare out of it. He could feel Ginny and Neville's curious eyes on him as Harry took his time sitting down. Merlin could literally feel the connection between Harry and Voldemort through that cursed scar of his; as well as the specter of Voldemort's soul latched onto Harry.

It'd been eating away at the poor boy's life for a long time now, leeching of his magic, growing steadily stronger, and amazingly enough failing to corrupt Harry's virtue from the inside out. That's boy's incorruptICility was astonishing for a Wizard his tender age. Merlin couldn't contain the great sadness he felt but managed to stop it from showing on his face; but beyond that he felt great respect for Harry's innate strength of character.

Dumbledore evidently hadn't told Harry any of this yet; like how Harry himself was another of Voldemort's horcruxes. He also likely neglected to tell Harry that the only way to rid himself of his parasite was for him to die; and Voldemort himself would have to do it. Fortunately for them, Merlin had many solutions to that problem, and would be able to expunge the darkness from Harry without killing him; the only problem lie in how to go about doing it. Evidently, he couldn't just wave his hand and sever that connection while amongst other people who could notice the golden glow of his eyes; and even if he did it subtly so no one would know who did it, Dumbledore would likely be asking questions. And since Merlin himself was the only unknown in this equation, he'd be under heavy scrutiny to say the least. If he had to out himself to a select few people to save Harry from his fate, then so be it; but hopefully Dumbledore was open-minded enough to accept Merlin's interference and to not ask too many questions like how or why.

Merlin could feel some of Voldemort's anger and corrupting influence bleeding through in the connection, and Harry would be volatile, ill-tempered, and feeling like nobody understand him this year. A very classical case of teenage angst in most cases, but with Harry it would be increased pretty much tenfold. In any case, Merlin knew he was going to have to tread on the side of caution with what he planned to do. But first, he needed to establish a connection with the people who would be integral in Harry's destiny.

"I heard what was going on with you guys and Malfoy, the way you put him in his place was brilliant. You said your name was Martin right," Ginny suddenly asked him, and Merlin nodded in affirmation as he turned away from the window to gaze into Ginny's brown eyes. ' _Damn! Ginny is turning into a gorgeous young woman. Careful Merlin, you may look like a 15-year-old boy but there are laws against courting an underage witch when you're over a thousand-years-old. At least wait till they're seventeen you old perv!_

When Merlin's inner mind put it like that, it was hard to fault its logic. But having grown up in a time-period where girls could be married off as young as 10 or 11; it was hard to get with the times and accept that he couldn't look at a teenage girl that way anymore. It was taboo in the present day and just not acceptable; and girls in the medieval times were much more mature for their age than they were nowadays. Unfortunately for him, Ginny was around the approximate age where he started to consider them grown women and attractive. Thankfully, he'd had the foresight to customize his powers so that they didn't increase his lICido to the same godlike proportions; otherwise he'd be knocking up more women in a week than Zeus did in 5000 years. Gazing at Neville, Merlin noticed he was holding a plant pot with a Mimbulus Mimbletonia pulsating rather nicely. It resembled a Cactus plant but with boils rather than spines; and it was wriggling and convulsing continuously. Merlin was almost too distracted by the fact that Neville had such a rare plant to respond to Ginny; but he managed somehow.

"Thank you very much Ginny; that guy was a complete ass. But I've dealt with my share of them in the past and I'm not about to let a self-entitled little prick get the best of me. Ooh, that's a really nice Mimbulus Mimbletonia by the way Neville," Merlin stated matter-of-factually. Ginny roared with laughter, Harry smirked at him out of the corner of his eye, and Neville smiled shyly; though he also looked surprised and a little impressed that Merlin knew the name of the plant. The only one who seemed completely disinterested in the current conversation was someone who hid their face behind a magazine that she was reading upside down; and she was sitting directly across from Merlin.

"I'm honestly less concerned about Malfoy and more concerned about the Ministry; that hearing was a right pain in my ass," Harry ranted fiercely. He immediately had to fight a grin however, when Ginny started whispering the words 'he got off, he got off' in a sort of pseudo war chant. She said it quietly enough so only he and someone with Merlin's enhanced senses could hear her.

"I'm sorry Harry, I've only been in England for a short time so I'm not as up to speed on recent events as I care to admit; may I ask what happened? I mean, if you don't mind terrICly," Merlin asked, already knowing the answer to many of his questions but wanting to fill in the missing pieces if he could.

"Oh, nothing happened… except that the Ministry of Magic has that idiot Fudge for a minister. He's been attacking me and Professor Dumbledore for months now; using all his power and influence over the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims Voldemort has returned," Harry bit out sarcastically, and Merlin smirked. "Classic Fudge maneuver; he really is the epitome of the sleazy politician stereotype, isn't he? Better get used to it though Harry, corrupt politicians have been a thing since time immemorial; best just to let him be the archetype of his own undoing," Merlin told him sagely. Harry grudgingly nodded.

"It makes me wonder if being an Auror really is the best idea right now; with a minister like Fudge looking to have me expelled… I'm not sure that's best course of action while he's still in office," he solemnly said, just as a new voice suddenly spoke up. "You want to be an Auror? Have you heard of the Rotfang conspiracy," the voice asked Harry in a tone both serene and about as far away from the world as a voice could get.

Suddenly lowering her QuICbler magazine to gaze at Harry unblinkingly; Luna Lovegood showed her face and an interest in the conversation for the first time since they boarded the train. Merlin immediately grimaced at this, Harry may not have heard of that conspiracy but he sure as hell did. "Um no, what's the Rotfang Conspiracy," Harry said, almost sounding as if he was afraid to ask. At that precise moment, Ron and Hermione opened the sliding door to enter the compartment, sitting between Harry and Merlin with Hermione nearest Merlin and Ron by his best mate. Luna carried on unabated, as though Ron and Hermione had never even entered.

"I'm surprised you've never heard of it Harry Potter. The Rotfang Conspiracy is a plot by the Auror office to take down the Ministry of Magic from within through a combination of dark magic and gum disease," Luna explained, as Ron looked at her like she had grown a second head and Hermione's eye twitched slightly, as if irritated and surprised to find this the topic of conversation she came back to Harry regarded her contemplatively, while Ginny stuffed her fist into her mouth to stop herself from giggling. Merlin however, was still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened; while also finding Luna's statement both amusing and terrifying in the implications.

"Hey, I've heard of that conspiracy before. Gingivitis and other mouth rotting afflictions abound and are made incurable by dark magic; that's actually terrifying," Merlin said, shuddering genuinely. He'd had a rotten tooth once before; given his penchant for sweets, and while magic was advanced enough to regrow teeth at that point Merlin had to suffer with the pain of that blasted tooth for hours on end while trying to find himself a magical healer. Those fuckers hurt, and while Luna's comment might have come off as dotty to the other people in the compartment; Merlin wasn't the sort to immediately dismiss something completely out of hand simply because there wasn't much substantive proof of its actual existence. Being a ZOF enhanced God Magic Conduit required keeping a beyond infinitely open mind; just having to cope with the maddening, impossICle things he'd seen and done over the years required a very special kind of tenacity.

So, others saw the girl as eccentric and loony, and Merlin reckoned he had reasons to believe she was too. She had her wand tucked away behind her left ear. Her eyes were protuberant and seemed frozen in a permanently surprised expression; and they were silver as the moon itself. She also seemed to blink far less than the average human. She wore a necklace with Butterbeer cork charms on it; and Merlin noticed her choice of attire was painted in every color of the rainbow. As if all that wasn't enough though, but the fourteen-year-old girl also had earrings made from dirigICle plums.

Luna turned her attention on him, and Merlin regarded her with interest and curiosity. "So, you've heard of it," she asked him, her voice not quite as far away now as the ancient warlock blushed at her unabashed staring. "Yes, I have, hey is that the latest edition of the QuICbler; been meaning to pick one up myself," Merlin responded offhandedly, noting her surprised expression as she handed her copy to him and he gently took it off her hands to give it a read. For Hermione, that was apparently beyond the limit of her tolerance; and Merlin was quite unprepared for when the bushy haired witch who was heralded for her brilliance made a comment.

"I've heard of the QuICbler, you do know that it's complete bollocks don't you Martin," she asked him huffily; just as Merlin arrived at the page where Fudge was implicated in being the Goblin-Crusher. He was surprised when Luna snatched the QuICbler out of his hands, and regarded Hermione with surprisingly attentive and fierce ire. "For your information, my father is the editor and owner of the QuICbler; so I'd thank you not to make comments like that," she hissed with surprising steel in her voice, causing Merlin to quirk an eyebrow. ' _Interesting, so there is stuff that gets to her. From the impression I got, Luna Lovegood seemed almost unflappable; but they're only human I suppose_.'

"But it doesn't even make any sense, you can't make up those ridiculous claims without substantial proof," Hermione insistently stated, clearly frustrated with Luna's ability to accept irrational things without much need for physical evidence. Merlin briefly noted that Luna would make a fantastic ZOF Prodigy of the God Magic; but kept that thought to himself for the time being. "If you can't appreciate the QuICbler's style of news telling that's fine; but don't just dismiss what it has to offer other people because you can't wrap your head around it," Luna exclaimed emphatically, her pale, porcelain face flushing red with anger as Merlin couldn't help but smile. Clearly, she was very defensive of her father and his newspaper.

"But I… Ron, Harry, help me out you guys," Hermione was quickly growing too frustrated to have a rational debate with the girl anymore. She was highly logical and analytical, and with a person like Luna; it seemed that logic failed her when trying to rationally explain why the QuICbler was not the kind of newspaper one should put too much stock in. "Oh no, don't drag me into this Mione; I've got more important things to think about," Harry said glumly, and though Ron didn't come to her defense either at least he looked apologetic about it. Hermione huffed and sank further into her seat. While Merlin could somewhat relate to the girl's frustration; he also saw Luna's point of view on the matter, and decided to speak up just then.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy," he quoted quietly, yet not so quietly because everyone heard him. Hermione rounded on him, eyes wide with disbelief. "You've read Hamlet? Why quote something like that?" she asked him, pleasantly surprised as Merlin nodded with a smile. Ginny interjected suddenly, "I don't understand, what's Hamlet?" she wondered, ever like a curious cat as Neville shrugged. "It's a really famous Muggle story," Hermione answered her quickly, before returning her attention to Merlin, silently reminding him of her question from before.

"Because it's true Hermione; think about it… before you got your Hogwarts letter, would you have truly believed in the existence of magic?" he asked her. Hermione immediately understood where he was going with this, and hurriedly replied. "But it's not the same, I can't just accept something so strange without overwhelming evidence to support it. Magic's existence was undeniable and only a fool would have remained ignorant," Hermione explained as everyone else listened with silent interest. Even Luna was intrigued, and seemed to want to pick Merlin's brain and hear where he was going with this.

"It is the same though Hermione; and I never said you had to accept something without evidence, but immediately dismissing something completely out of hand because there isn't enough substantial proof to fit your logic… is frankly stupid, and likely to get you killed," Merlin rebutted, then sighed with a shake of his head. "I could live for another thousand years and never come to understand how people who can turn back time, conjure anything except food, and achieve almost any feat save for a select few… can be so shockingly close-minded," he added morosely. " _Another_ thousand years?" Ginny repeated with a quirk of her eyebrow, causing Merlin to smirk at her. "That part was a joke," he lied, and everyone shared a chuckle, and just like that; the tension between Hermione and Luna from earlier had all but evaporated.

Hermione meanwhile, had a lot to think about; their new acquaintance Martin was full of surprises it seemed. She had long since accepted the reality that magic was real, and as she always did, strived to learn as much as she could about new things; but just because she knew a lot about magic didn't meant she knew everything. Perhaps there was more to the magical world than she previously realized; and Martin had made a valid point.

"So Neville, care to demonstrate to us what your little friend's defense mechanism is?" Merlin suddenly asked, indicating the Mimbulus Mimbletonia as Neville grinned eagerly. "Sure thing Martin, you see; when under attack you guys, this little fella likes to release a bunch of stinky sap," Neville proudly stated, stroking the plant along its boils incessantly as it pulsated more violently, then shuddered… before spewing a whole whack of the stuff on everyone and nearly everything in the entire compartment. Neville was shocked at this, and Merlin burst out laughing as no one was spared. Hermione looked ready to shriek at the sap in her hair and all over her clothes, whereas Ron spluttered and choked; spitting it out as Neville reassured him it wasn't poisonous, just smelled bad. Harry looked disgusted, and Ginny quirked an eyebrow at Merlin suspiciously; almost as if she knew he did that on purpose.

"I'm so sorry you guys, I didn't think it would blast that stuff so far and wide," Neville exclaimed, mortified beyond belief. No one seemed able to get mad at him when he sank further into his seat, and Merlin frowned slightly at the poor lad's lack of self-confidence; he'd have to do something about that. "It's no big deal Nev," Ginny reassured him gently, bringing out her wand and speaking the incantation "Scourgify," and most of the sap immediately disappeared from the entire compartment.

"Whew, thanks Ginny; that stuff is disgusting," Ron said gratefully. "Can't be any worse than those slugs Ron," Harry teased, grinning genuinely for the first time in a long while as Ron slugged him playfully on the arm. All eyes fell on Merlin at that moment, who managed to blink at them innocently; an expression none of them bought for even a second. "Martin, that wasn't very nice you know," Hermione scolded him rather lightly, as Merlin felt his lips quirking upward. "Oh, come on! That was hilarious," he stubbornly insisted, and to his relief, everyone shared a laugh or a giggle. Seriously, these people needed to lighten up a bit.

Just then, Merlin heard the sliding of wheels outside their compartment and sensed the presence of the trolley lady. Getting up just as she reached their compartment, he moved past everyone and fished out a bag of Galleons from inside his magically expanded pockets. He slid open the door just as she brought the massive assortment of sweets up to him, and gave her a kind smile. "Anything sweet for you dears," the lady offered them kindly.

"Not for me thanks," Harry declined politely, and Ron nodded in agreement; evidently unable to afford it as Merlin grinned gregariously. "I'll take the lot of it," he said, reaching into his magically expanded money bag and handing her an entire handful of golden galleons. "Whoa," Ron said in surprise, and Merlin blushed sheepishly as the lady smiled and kindly accepted the money. "Keep the change mam," Merlin offered when it became clear she was going to make up the difference.

She beamed at him, and Merlin decided that instead of grabbing all the candy armfuls at a time he would use magic instead. Grabbing his modified Sidhe Staff; Merlin brought out a beautifully designed, off-white wand with a blue gem gleaming like sapphire at the base of the handle. With a casual flick of his wand and a brief flash of gold in his eyes that nobody caught; all different types of candy started floating alongside Martin back into the compartment as the trolley lady shook her head with a smile. All eyes were on him and the different types of candy as Martin retook his spot across from Luna; some Chocolate Frogs and at least half a dozen packages of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans, as well as other notable treats found themselves flying to everyone in the compartment… including Harry who had initially refused to buy any himself.

Ron looked at Martin with surprise etched on his face, and Martin shrugged. "I've got more money in my vault at Gringotts than I can spend in a billion lifetimes; so, I might as well share that wealth with people like you guys," he admitted with a kind, genuine smile as Ginny beamed at the package of Bertie Bott's Merlin had given her. "Besides, if I don't share some of this with you guys… I'll just end up eating it all myself, and I really don't need the calories if I'm being honest," Merlin added, and when Ron still looked unsure Ginny scoffed. "Oh, swallow your pride already Ron; you and I both know you want some of this," she told him off, and Ron nodded reluctantly as Hermione sighed at his stubbornness and Harry sighed in resignation when he realized that Martin wouldn't take no for an answer.

Merlin grinned with proud satisfaction as he watched Luna open a chocolate frog; the group immersed in their own thoughts. The ancient warlock was tempted to read their minds and see what was going through their heads while they ate; but managed to keep from invading their privacy. "So, Martin, where are you from?" Hermione asked him, striking up a conversation in between small nICbles of her chocolate frog. "Canada," he answered simply, causing her and Ron to go slack jawed. "That far?! Wow, I didn't know Canada had magical educational facilities," Hermione admitted frustratingly, because if there was one thing she hated it was not knowing something.

"Well there is, though few magical schools prepare their students for the real world as well as Hogwarts does; and I guess I just wanted to be where the action is. With Voldemort's return, living in Wizarding Britain is going to take a certain kind of tenacity; and I want to be there to help people when they need it," Merlin admitted as Harry's eyes widened. "You mean to say… you actually believed that Voldemort has returned?! You don't think I'm the 'Boy Who Lies'?!" the 15-year-old wizard asked him, evidently surprised as Merlin threw him a kind smile.

"Not everybody thinks you're nuts for your claim Harry… and you're not as alone in this fight as you might expect. I mean, I'm not the type of person just to dismiss something completely out of hand Harry. Sometimes it's easier to live in denial than to face a terrICle truth," Merlin told him sagely as Harry nodded slowly, finding it difficult to relieve last year but glad at least someone believed in him.

"I wish everyone was that open-minded," Harry admitted simply, as Ginny smiled compassionately at him and Luna glanced at him for a second from behind her QuICbler magazine. "Don't worry about _everyone_ Harry, just worry about the people who mean something to _you_. As long as even one person believes, you're never truly alone; and right now, you've got an entire compartment full of people who accept the reality that Voldemort has returned," Merlin replied as Ginny nodded in agreement. "Bloody well straight if you ask me mate," Ron said in full support. He still remembered how he had treated Harry for much of last year during the first part of the tournament; and vowed to never let his jealousy issues ruin his number one friendship aside from his friendship with Hermione.

"Anyways, all that stuff aside, anyone up for Wizard's Chess," Ron suggested, and everyone who knew him politely declined. Merlin however, was up to the challenge; he'd been around when that game was invented and had beaten some of the best chess players on earth… both in the past and present. "I'll play you Ron," Merlin offered, surprising everyone present as Ron nodded and they got to work setting up the board. Ginny giggled as she, Neville, and Luna shuffled over and Merlin took a seat opposite Ron on his side of the Chess board.

"You don't know what you've signed up for Martin; Ron's the best Wizard's chess player Hogwarts has seen in a long time. None of us have managed to beat him yet, it's a bit ridiculous really," Ginny explained to him, missing the mysterious smile that slipped onto the 1500-year-old warlock's face. "Be that as it may, I think I can hold my own Ginny; I love chess, both the muggle and Wizard versions," Merlin chortled. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you," Ginny smirked at him; and there was something more to the teasing that Merlin could pick up on thanks to his powers of empathy.

It would seem Ginny was starting to show the slightest hint of a budding crush on him; and if not for the fact that she was still a minor by today's standards he might have been tempted… she was pretty enough to have been a princess during the age of Camelot. As it was though, he'd have to keep things strictly platonic between him and the girls here until they came of age; and it's not like he couldn't wait a few years. Being immortal had its perks; such as being able to wait forever for the people worth waiting forever for.

With that train of thoughts aside, Merlin made the first move; and thus, began the most grueling chess match anyone present had ever seen. It lasted three hours, all the way into the night and only ending by time they were already passing Hogsmeade. "Checkmate Ron," Merlin finally said, taking his opponent's king with his queen; whom he had managed to somehow keep alive the entire match. There was a brief-moment of silence as everyone processed the sheer enormity of Ron actually _losing_ a chess match for the first time in living memory, and then pandemonium ensued.

Merlin was swamped with praise from all sides, "Merlin's beard Martin; that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Harry exclaimed; glad he had friends to keep him from going off the deep end and welcoming the distraction this intense game of chess offered him. Merlin almost snorted at the irony of Harry's word choice; but managed to keep from doing so aloud. Hermione was shaking her head, unable to wrap her head around it; "I could never beat Ron either, and it always frustrated me because chess is a game of strategy and analytical thinking and I pride myself on excelling at both. Ron, has anyone ever beaten you like that before," she suddenly asked as Neville clapped Merlin on the back and Ginny was smiling at him with both eyebrows raised… evidently extremely impressed by his performance.

"I've known Ron as long as I've been alive, and I don't think I can remember a time where he's ever lost a game; Percy has come close a couple of times, but he eventually gave it all up as a bad job. That was absolutely brilliant Martin," Ginny said her piece. Merlin could have sworn he caught Luna regarding him with interest out of the corner of his eye; but when he glanced upwards in her direction she was already back to being lost in her own world.

With this, Merlin returned his attention to Ron, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet the whole time as everyone awaited his reaction. To their absolute joy, he was positively beaming. " _Finally,_ A worthy opponent," he sighed in obvious relief; pleased to have finally met his match in Wizard's Chess. Merlin couldn't help blushing sheepishly, wondering if he was perhaps standing out too much; but he concluded that a precocious chess master did not immediately scream _Merlin in disguise_. God knows there were loads of people in the world who excelled at chess; some muggles even played chess for a living, it was quite literally their livelihood.

"We'd best be getting ready to get off; we'll be arriving very soon," Hermione informed them. As if on cue, the train started slowing down, the screeching of tires on train tracks as Hogsmeade offered them a beautiful nighttime view out the window and Merlin caught Luna staring at him unblinkingly. Meeting her eyes, Merlin sent her a goofy grin, glad to know he had managed to make a good first impression or two on Harry's group. "I have a feeling this year is going to be a catalyst of truly big events in our lives you guys; so, you best be looking after yourselves," Merlin told them all cryptically.

With that said, he opened his pack of Bertie Bott's every Flavor Beans and popped one in his mouth. "Mm, a booger flavored… well, see you guys when I see you. Thanks for letting me stay in here with you… but I've got a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore and I reckon tardiness is rude," Merlin added to all of them at large. With that parting statement, Merlin stepped out of the compartment just as the train screeched to a halt and walked down the aisle towards the nearest entrance while whistling a tune… before Harry and the others could even think to follow him.


	2. First Time for Everything

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nor do I make any profit from this whatsoever. All content is the property of its respective owners; the only things I take credit for are the ZOF, God Magic Conduits, and the AU plot lines since they are mine alone. The rest is either JK Rowling's or whoever owns BBC's Merlin._

_Warnings: Not too many of consequence; though there might be a little of bit of light Harry/Ginny fluff that neither of them intend to be interpreted as flirting. Bear in mind people; the moment Merlin hit the scene… it altered the paths everyone in the HP universe were already on and changed the course of history. So, it is already going to start changing in many small but meaningful ways from canon._

Chapter Two: First Time for Everything

It was relatively known that Harry Potter's fifth-year at Hogwarts was not off to a fantastic start. What started as him going all summer without a scrap of news, and being forced to spy on the Dursleys' Telly of all things from the front yard; had turned into a fight for his soul when two Dementors cornered him and Dudley in the middle of Little Whinging. That fight ended with both his soul and his cousin's remaining intact, but then, Harry got that confounded owl from Mafalda Hopkins at the Ministry, and he was certain his heart had nearly given out in those moments.

Not being able to go back to Hogwarts, and the thought of having to go on the run to keep the Ministry from breaking his wand had terrified Harry. It'd come as no small reassurance, when Kingsley Shacklebolt sent him a second letter telling him to stay put and Dumbledore would sort things out. The hearing had been a pain in the ass… but even the Ministry couldn't dismiss the evidence presented by Mrs. Fig, or the argument Dumbledore made on Harry's behalf. Coming back to Grimmauld Place to find Ginny, Fred, and George chanting 'he got off' repeatedly had been the highlight of his day. He was so relieved to be cleared of all charges and on his way back to Hogwarts, that he could almost forgive Dumbledore for not acknowledging his presence and insisting on keeping him in the dark.

Harry still didn't understand why Dumbledore had been so set against telling Harry anything, or why he continued to avoid him like the plague. He had never been so distant towards Harry before, which lead Harry to believe that something had changed in their dynamic this year. He just wondered what those changes were or what even brought them on. He hadn't done anything wrong as far as he knew, he'd stayed put at the Dursley's and Little Whinging this year; despite how much he hated the oppressing environment there. He'd had nightmares almost every night regarding Cedric, and for the first time in living memory wished he could talk to someone about everything he was going through. He'd always been quick tempered, but lately it took almost no provocation whatsoever to set him off. He knew there was only so much angst and anger he could blame on raging teenage hormones, and the thought of something more going on scared him.

After everything he'd been through, would it really be that unreasonable to assume he was becoming more like the very monster that destroyed his world when he was a baby and continuously tried to murder him every year. Perhaps something was going wrong inside him. He'd been abused by the Dursley's for most of his life, then found a home at Hogwarts, only to be thrust into life threatening situations year after year… and never voluntarily. Despite being back at the only home he'd ever known, he wasn't sure how to feel getting off the Hogwarts Express. Everything felt different now, and not necessarily in a good way. He was worried he would end up going too far if Malfoy or anyone else pushed him this year. As much as he hated the arrogant Malfoy heir; Harry didn't believe the Ministry would understanding of his plight if he ended up murdering Draco… though if it weren't for the Dementors guarding the Wizard Prison he questioned whether a few years in Azkaban would be worth it.

His day on the Hogwarts express had been largely uneventful, something Harry was grateful for. Malfoy taunting him as he always did got to him far more this time than it had in the past, but luckily; he had Hermione and Ron holding him back from breaking the arrogant tosspot's jaw. Ginny had been a surprising source of comfort for him this year so far too, and he'd been noticing her more and more… not just as Ron's shy little sister who had a monstrous crush on him, but as someone who could become a true friend to him as dear as Ron and Hermione.

By far the most interesting thing that happened thus far however, was the new arrival from all the way across the pond. Martin Emrys was an interesting and eccentric man to say the least. He was also exceedingly polite, and seemed to carry a wisdom that stretched far beyond his years. He could hold his own against Hermione's intellect and was even more open minded. Anyone who could not dismiss one of Luna Lovegood's more farfetched theories was not to be trifled with; especially given the sound reasoning he provided all of them with. Not that Harry knew him or Luna all too well yet, but he had gotten pretty good at reading people in recent years; it was a survival strategy.

His blatant disregard for the Ministry and the Daily Prophet, as well as his ability to just take Harry on his word that Voldemort was back… both surprised Harry and comforted him. To know there were people out there not as blinded by fear of the terrifying truth as Fudge, came as an immense relief, and while Martin himself was odd he was also incredibly wise and supportive. His ability to beat Ron in a game of Wizard's Chess was unprecedented, and immediately earned him a lifelong chess buddy in Harry's best mate. Harry was a bit wearier of letting newcomers into his life now though. Hell, even just last year he would have been more trusting, but after the fake Moody incident he knew he would have to tread on the side of caution. He'd trusted that man for months, had been grateful for the help he gave, even accepted that while Mad-Eye Moody was likely as mad as the rumors claimed… Harry himself could not have found a better teacher to prepare him for defense against the dark arts out there in the world. Even now in hindsight, despite knowing that it had been the fake Moody who suggested it to him… the thought of becoming an Auror had stuck with Harry these past months.

He couldn't really think of anything else he'd rather be doing, and he supposed that even if Voldemort was one day vanquished there'd be lots of cleaning up and recapturing of Death Eaters involved. Harry wanted to be a part of that, he wanted to make sure no one would ever have to experience the same pain he did. No one should have to grow up without a real family because some murderous psychopath decided to pay them a visit; when you were no more than a year old.

Harry didn't know if he or Dumbledore would be the one to stop Voldemort in the end; he didn't know who could stop him other than Dumbledore if he was being honest, and the idea of having to face his mortal enemy alone someday… terrified him. He was just one kid, how in the world was he supposed to stop the mightiest dark wizard since Morgana Le Fay herself? Dumbledore being distant this year made Harry realize that things in life weren't always constant, friends could become enemies and enemies could become friends. The only constant in the world was change itself, which was kind of ironic.

"Blimey, I still can't believe I lost a game of Wizard's Chess." Ron piped up suddenly, breaking Harry out of his thoughts. He noticed Cho Chang sitting in a cart not too far in front of him. She saw him staring, and cast him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Harry's belly whooshed slightly before the cart she was on with her friends started moving, and she was getting further away. "It was bound to happen eventually Ron… there's a first time for everything you know." Hermione said in a surprisingly soothing voice, but to her pleasant surprise Ron merely smiled.

"I'm not upset by it Mione, quite the opposite actually. I've finally found a worthy opponent. It was getting kind of boring winning all the time; um… no offense girls." He said placatingly when he saw the scathing looks Ginny and Hermione were giving him. Harry snorted, surprised by how considerate Ron was being, or maybe he was just being smarter about where and when to shoot his mouth off… and more importantly, whom to. Either way, Ginny and Hermione looked mollified after that, and Hermione led them all to the only cart left available to them. After exchanging a quick hello with Neville who caught up to them; Harry saw Martin and Luna Lovegood were the ones sitting in the compartment together, having an in depth, animated discussion about Wrackspurts and something called Nargles. Harry shook his head as he prepared to get into the compartment, but stopped cold when he noticed something he never had before.

"So, Wrackspurts huh, even if their existence can't be validated; I can't deny you and your father's ability to believe in the wonders of magic is a rare thing in today's world. I can't help admiring that in a person Luna." Martin admitted, but Harry only heard him in the back of his head because he was too busy focusing on the creature he saw pulling the carriage. He shook his head and blinked his eyes a couple of times to make sure he wasn't imagining it, but the winged, skeletal horse-like creature was still there. ' _I really am going bonkers now, aren't I_?' he thought somewhat fearfully.

"What's that?" he finally said, deciding to get a second opinion and pointing in the direction of the creature. Ron stared blankly at where he was pointing and then at Harry. "What's what mate?" he wondered. "That, pulling the carriage." Harry said insistently, wondering to himself why no one else could see them. Hermione was looking at him with concern by this point. "Nothing's pulling the carriage Harry; it's pulling itself like it always." She said gently, her worry for him and possibly his mental state creeping through in her tone as Harry sighed in exasperation.

As though sensing his distress, Luna suddenly piped up. "You're not going mad Harry Potter, I can see them too. You're just as sane as I am." She told him in a placating voice that did absolutely nothing to reassure him. He resisted the urge to remind her that everyone thought she was nuts, but was spared any more thoughts on the matter when Martin piped up before Hermione could say her piece. "They're called Thestrals Harry, and for whatever reason they can only be seen by people who…" Martin paused as though trying to think of a way to put whatever he was going to say.

"By people who what." Harry pressed, but Hermione finished the statement for him. "They can only be seen by people who have seen death Harry. That's why you've only just started to be able to see them… because of… last year." She said cautiously, as though even the very mention of Cedric's name might set Harry off. She was probably right, but just once… Harry would have liked for someone not to treat him as though he were mentally fragile and on the brink of insanity. He wished someone wouldn't beat around the bush with him and maybe even push him a little; not because he wanted to be but because he needed to be, but he also understood that Hermione was just trying to be considerate of his feelings and he appreciated that as well.

"Oh." He said in understanding, now realizing why he could see these creatures and they couldn't. That begged the question of whom Martin and Luna knew in their lives who died, but that seemed too personal to ask when he bare knew them, and he had enough experience dealing with nosy people in his business to know it was best to wait until they told him of their own accord, and not amongst so many people. It was oddly comforting to know that Harry wasn't the only one in this carriage who had lost someone close to him.

Hermione turned to regard Luna with an apologetic look. "I owe you an apology Luna, when you first mentioned you could see whatever Harry was seeing I thought it was because you were making it up. I didn't know what to make of you when we first met, and while I may not understand the way you think very well… what Martin said back on the train stuck with me. And if Thestrals are something I am unable to see and you can; maybe there are other magical creatures only certain people can see too."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'll try not to just dismiss something completely out of hand because I can't see it. And if I was wrong about the Thestrals just now… maybe I'm wrong about the other things to." Hermione admitted as Luna nodded in acceptance of her profound apology and Martin grinned like the Cheshire cat. Harry was impressed with Hermione being big enough to admit all that. He knew it took a lot for her to admit when she was wrong about something, and since she very seldom was wrong about stuff… this was a big testament of just how far she'd come along from the bossy, know-it-all bookworm she used to be.

"Thank you, Hermione, I'm not saying anyone has to just accept whatever I say without any proof whatsoever; you don't have to believe in anything I say… but you shouldn't just outright refuse to listen to another's point of view because it doesn't fit your own. That's all I've ever wanted; for people to listen to what I say. Martin here even considers that it could be true, and even when he doesn't agree with me on some things at least he hears me out." Luna replied placidly, the serenity in her voice conveying no particular emotion; though everyone could tell she was genuinely grateful to Hermione.

"Your knowledge on Magizoology is very extensive Luna. Have you ever read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? It was written by Newt Scamander and is very interesting." Martin asked her with a smile; resuming their conversation from before as Harry listened to them surreptitiously, while Ginny cast him a quick smile from beside Neville, and Nev himself played with his Mimbulus Mimbletonia a little.

"Oh yes, I've read it… quite the lovely read to. Scamander's books are some of my favorites, and I've always wanted to be a Magizoologist when I finish school." Luna admitted, the first signs of passion bleeding through her otherwise otherworldly calm and serene manner. Martin's smile widened at this. "Did you know he was involved in stopping the Obscurus incident in New York back in 1926? He even managed to help capture Grindelwald, who wanted to use the Obscurus's raw destructive capabilities to break the divide between magic and muggles, or Non-Maj's as they're called in America. It was quite the eventful trip to America for old Newt I'd imagine." Martin told Luna and the rest of them offhandedly as Luna looked at him in fascination and Hermione looked astounded by how much Martin knew.

Harry was secretly impressed… whatever sort of community Canada was; it appeared Martin was quite well informed on things. This Obscurus he mentioned sounded scary, and he considered asking what it was. Luna seemed to know, and Hermione wasn't that far behind her, but all the rest of them looked on clueless, including Ginny. "I'm sorry, but what's an Obscurus exactly?" the redheaded girl asked him.

"It's a parasitic manifestation of magic in a psychologically abused and traumatised child who has lived their lives in fear of their own magical powers. Cases like that are almost non-existent nowadays. But back when Muggles still actively hunted Wizards and Witches; those who could use magic had to learn how to blend in and not stick out like a sore thumb. In the interest of preserving and protecting their own lives; young witches and wizards learned to suppress their own magic and absolutely refused to use it in any given case."

"The problem with that is it's the same as suppressing your emotions, and the longer you do so with magic, and the more naturally adept at magic you are… the bigger the explosion." Martin explained as Ron whistled in astonishment and Harry felt awed. He honestly thought he had it bad, but compared to these people having to deal with that sort of thing their whole lives in perpetual fear of being what they are; Harry honestly thought for the first time this year, that maybe things could be worse for him after all. His relatives may have been colossal pricks, but they never got too physical beyond grabbing his hair; they never hit him.

These conversations with Martin were forcing him to think in ways he never had before, and it perplexed him how the Canadian wizard no older than he was could so easily distract him from his own problems. It was educational, but in a good way. Harry had probably gotten more information from Martin in just a few hours than he had gotten from all his friends and Dumbledore combined all summer. It may not have all related to Harry's own situation, not directly at least, but even the things Martin said that weren't in direct relation to Harry had a profound effect on him and were oddly comforting. He may have been hesitant to let Martin in all the way since he only just met the guy a few hours ago, but something told him he'd be glad to call Martin a friend someday. Something about him just spoke volumes to Harry; made him want to trust the guy completely on pure instinct.

"That's… horrible." Ginny gasped. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that any child of magic could be so afraid as to repress the very magic that made them who they were. Magic was a gift; not something to be so afraid of using that one had to suppress it to the point of making it explode. "That's how it was back then Ginny, and while Muggles have evolved since medieval times, people are still pretty backwards when it comes to accepting change. People are afraid of, and often hate what they don't understand. For many Muggles, the idea of being around people who could do the things we can do challenges their very sense of priority in the world around them. The day when beings of magic come out into the open is going to change everything Ginny; in ways that we may not be capable of foreseeing." Martin told her in such a serious tone that no one doubted he was speaking what he believed to be the Gospel truth.

"Bloody hell Martin, that was really heavy." Ron admitted, and Harry nodded in accord while Hermione watched him with curiosity out of the corner of her eye. Merlin realized that perhaps he'd said too much too soon. He supposed he probably wasn't acting like a typical 15-year-old boy and someone as clever as Hermione was taking notice of that. Perhaps old Godric was right after all. Merlin would have to refrain from giving too many of his favorite speeches and sayings away… at least until he could determine whether it was safe to reveal who he really was to the world once again; because if anything was going to change the world it was the revelation that the most powerful magical being in all of history was still alive today.

"I like to read a lot. So, I guess I've just gotten fairly articulate." Merlin blushed sheepishly, and with a collective chuckle shared by everyone in the carriage; he managed to ease the tension in the air even while Hermione continued to observe him the rest of the ride up to Hogwarts. Upon seeing the majestic castle up close and personal once again for the first time in centuries; Merlin had to resist the urge to cry tears of joy. Seeing the old school of magic completely intact despite the thousand-year tests of time was like reuniting with a long lost friend.

"It's just as beautiful as I imagined." Merlin sighed in awe, determined to keep up the appearance of a newbie for as long as possible but hating the subterfuge. He wanted so badly to be able to tell these genuinely nice people the whole truth, but how much of his situation would they really understand? Even Harry, while a remarkable young man… was not anywhere near in the same league as the ancient warlock supposedly was. "Yeah, I never thought about it much, but it really is beautiful." Harry added in agreement.

"So, Martin, are you looking forward to going to school here?" Neville asked him, and Merlin nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, very much so Neville." Merlin replied. "So, um, what year are you going to be in, and do you know which house you'll be sorted into?" Hermione inquired. Merlin shrugged at this; before deciding to elaborate further with actual words. "My letter from the headmaster said I'd be tested the first week of school on various subjects to determine my level of education, and whether I can be expected to handle the workload of a fifth-year here at Hogwarts. I understand this is your OWL-year is it not?" Merlin asked them as Harry and Ron nodded with dread and Hermione nodded much more enthusiastically. "As for what house I'll be sorted into… I'm hoping Ravenclaw. She was always my favorite of the four founders, and her famous catchphrase… well it stuck with me ever since I first read the stories on them." Merlin admitted fondly as Luna interjected unexpectedly.

"Hey, I'm in Ravenclaw, we'll be in the same House together." She stated matter-of-factually, in a voice that betrayed none of the excitement Merlin could feel emanating off her, thanks to his awareness of the Emotional Spectrum of Infinite Totalities, or ESIT for short. Hermione found Martin's statement to be odd; though no one else seemed to notice, but the way he spoke of Ravenclaw and the four founders with such fondness sounded eerily similar too the way people spoke of old and very dear friends. It was intensely disconcerting, and Hermione was certain she was misinterpreting the intense feelings underlying Martin's admission.

"Wit beyond measure…" Merlin started, but Luna finished the statement for him. "Is a man's greatest treasure," She added in a sing-song voice that didn't convey anything but the inappropriately serene tone he'd come to expect from Luna. She was very good at not letting people know they got to her, and hid her emotions beneath a well concealed veil of false serenity. But Merlin had one advantage the others didn't. He had a ZOF enhanced variant of Omni-Empathy, connecting him directly to the ESIT surrounding and binding all living things throughout the Omni Omega Omnisphere.

"I'm glad Luna, you seem like a pretty awesome person." Merlin complimented her unabashedly. Had Ron been drinking water at the time, he would have performed a truly legendary spit-take, but as it was; he only stared at the pair of them in astonishment as Luna offered him a shy, small smile. "Thanks Martin, I haven't known you very long, but I feel a kinship with you nonetheless." She whispered with genuine warmth, the first time her voice had shown any emotion since any of them met her earlier that day.

"I'm hungry, I really hope there's pudding." The blonde haired girl suddenly added to her last statement after a few moments of companionable silence, and the smooth ride that carriage provided to the castle gave comfort to all. Merlin quirked an eyebrow at Luna, grinning maddeningly at that little bit of insight he gained.

"So you like pudding eh?" He asked her, the Canadian slang term flowing as naturally as his accent, and why shouldn't it have? He was fluent in every language on earth including every accentuation. Given his recent transformation, he knew he could become fluent in every alien language as well if he wanted, laughing internally at how medieval people had no concept of aliens back when he was first alive. That was all part of the same category as magic and sorcery; then again, he supposed people from such a primitive time period would have no distinction between magic and any sufficiently advanced technology or aliens in general.

"Yes I do, very much so." Luna admitted with a fond smile, and Merlin snickered.

"I do to, hey, you ever tried Yorkshire pudding? I've got a recipe for it that's better than any restaurant I've ever had it at." Merlin told her as Luna got a hungry gleam in her eyes.

"Yes I have, I love all kinds of pudding." She declared with a zealous zeal of passion, her protuberant, silvery eyes really popping out in those moments as she seemed to come alive. Merlin's grin widened at the unspoken challenge in her statement, listing any random puddings that came to mind in an effort to find any she hadn't tried yet or didn't enjoy. He was something of a pudding fanatic himself in all honesty.

"Bread pudding?" he queried with a challenging smirk on his face, causing her eyes to narrow slightly as she nodded, before firing back with a pudding of her own for him.

"Bread and butter pudding… there is a difference between it and classic bread pudding by the way Merlin; any true pudding connoisseur knows that."

"I know that, and yes, I've tried it; I adored it. Tapioca?" Merlin responded, and Luna nodded her head vigorously.

"Tried it and I loved it; though it tastes rather bland like porridge unless you mix other stuff in it. Have you tried sticky toffee pudding?" Luna shot back at them, the two of them exchanging various pudding ideas back and forth like the ultimate tennis match.

"Who hasn't, it was invented here in the United Kingdom wasn't it? Here's another one from close to home, Queen of puddings?" Merlin presented the next pudding in a questioning manner, and Luna nodded once again before firing back at him with equally intense enthusiasm.

"Zerde?"

"Watalappam?"

"Treacle Sponge Pudding?"

"Jam Roly-Poly?"

"STOP, you guys are torturing me with all this talk of pudding!" Ron finally yelled, interrupting Merlin and Luna's intense competition only for everyone to bust a gut laughing at their display; even Merlin was smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry about that Ron, I guess we got a little carried away." Merlin admitted in an awkward tone, though Luna appeared unperturbed.

"No we didn't Martin; I've got to say it's nice to know someone who is as crazy about pudding as I am." Luna told him with a radiant smile, and Merlin suddenly developed an interest in his shoes as everyone laughed at his misfortune in a not unfriendly way.

"Bloody hell, you two are perfect for one another." Ron told them in a matter-of-fact tone, though there was a teasing undertone that suggested he was simply playing with them that Merlin didn't miss. Hermione proceeded to scold Ron for his language while Ginny watched Martin interact with Luna with fascination.

Ginny was the only person who knew Luna long enough to know the kind of person she was deep down inside, and inside her own heart was melting with the warmth she felt towards Martin for how well he treated Luna. That poor girl had been dealing with ridicule and mockery her whole life and it was about time she started getting the respect she deserved; that she found someone who got her and who appreciated her eccentricities and all. Martin seemed ridiculously competent at understanding people on a fundamental level; just the few hours he'd been with them had allowed him to get a good idea on who they all were.

He was also the only one among them who could carry a conversation with Luna without getting put off by her oddities, or frustrated with her beliefs. Even Ginny had her limits, not that she lost her patience with the girl too often; only that she didn't always understand what it was the blonde girl was telling her. At times, it seemed like Luna was only partially invested in any conversation and she seemed so far away a lot of the time, like she was lost in her own little world. Yet Ginny had learned the hard way what happened when you tried to make sure Luna was paying attention by asking her if she heard anything you said.

She'd throw every single one of your words back in your face and add a few of her own as well. Luna was far more attentive than people knew, and there was a depth to the girl that few her age could really hope to match. That wisdom that stretched far beyond her years like what Martin seemed to have and could see in others like him. Ginny was just glad that Luna finally found a friend, and wished the two of them all the best when they were sorted into Ravenclaw. Given Martin's intense wisdom and astonishing intelligence, she had no doubt he would be.

"So, who do you guys think will be the new DADA Professor this year?" Ron asked everyone at large as the carriage slowed to a stop and they got out and continued talking while walking. Neville shrugged while Ginny struck a thinking pose.

"I think it would be really nice if Professor Lupin returned. Given the fact you guys had that two-faced bastard your first-year and we all got that fraud the year after that; it'd be nice to have the one good Professor we had return for another year." She hopefully proclaimed. Harry hated to crush that hope when Ginny looked so genuinely happy by the idea of Mooney returning, but he wouldn't be who he was if he wasn't realistic.

"I don't think that's going to happen Ginny. People seem to have a problem with Werewolves teaching classes at Hogwarts." He said spitefully, briefly ashamed of his own people for discriminating against someone for something they had literally no control over. Ginny looked sad by that comment, and Martin furrowed his eyebrows.

"I'll never understand why people discriminate against Werewolves when the solution is right in front of them. Any rich enough Wizard can create a trust fund towards providing and mass producing Wolfsbane to any who need it free of charge, but I guess people here in England are less interested in helping one another out and more fixated on their own financial security."

"It's a classic Scrooge scenario. Well wake up people, because you can't take that money with you when you die, and it's not like it would be doing anybody a whole lot of good locked up in your vault. Now, I'm not saying Canada is a perfect country because it isn't, but its Wizarding community is far more well rounded and less bigoted and discriminatory as a whole." The ancient warlock said his own piece. It wasn't that he didn't still love Britain and it was his first home, but Canada was by far the freest country he'd ever had the pleasure of living in. The level of tolerance, acceptance, and general politeness of the people there was simply superb, and pretty much every country on earth got along well with Canadians.

Being noted as exceedingly polite was quite literally a growing Canadian stereotype, and Merlin was sad to see the decaying society of Wizarding Britain in such contrast to its neighbor overseas. Honestly, the whole idea of the British people's stiff upper lip was something to consider as well; he understood that different cultures had different ways of living… but he had gotten so used to Canadian culture in recent years that he almost forgot how unsociable the English were in public. Then again, from a British person's perspective, a Canadian would come across as far too overzealous and emotionally exhausting. That saying about different strokes for different blokes was obviously true.

He could see Hermione gazing in wonder at him again while Harry looked to be fighting a grin. Martin had just unexpectedly given him a very good idea regarding Werewolves in general, and wondered to himself if the Potter family fortune was substantial enough to mass produce Wolfsbane Potions. It may not have gotten Lupin back to school as a teacher, but he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally biting or even killing someone underneath the full moon… assuming he didn't forget to take the damn thing again of course. How he could have made such a monumental error at such a crucial time as when he did was beyond Harry, and it left him wondering if maybe there was such a thing as fate. Though given the seriousness and urgency of the situation with Sirius perhaps Lupin forgetting to take his potion was understandable.

"You're an odd duck Martin, brilliant mind you, but odd." Ron commented idly as the seven of them reached the massive, towering entrance to Hogwarts and walked right in without needing to be admitted by Professor McGonagall. Martin supposed the first-years would be escorted later when they arrived by boat; and followed the other older students inside the castle gates. Merlin tried very hard to not let the nostalgia and the familiar feel of the castle and the ancient magics within bring him to tears.

"Never be normal Ron. And never be ashamed of what makes you unique. As a species, our isolated minds allow for diversity. Individuality isn't a weakness, it's our strength." Merlin finally said in response. His fondness of the castle came across to all of them as fascination with a new school. The truth of the matter could never have been known to any of them, but Merlin couldn't say anything just yet. If he was going to face the eventuality of having to tell them the truth someday, he'd have to ease them into it. "This place is amazing. I can feel the thrum of magic in the very air I breathe." Merlin added in false wonder, knowing he was laying it on thick, especially considering he helped build this castle from the ground up.

"Yeah, Hogwarts sure is something alright, no school better if you ask me." Ron said with an opinion that may not have been entirely unbiased.

"So, Martin, what are the schools in Canada like?" Hermione queried. Merlin couldn't help but grin, leave it to a walking encyclopedia like Hermione to start grilling him for details about what she didn't already know. She clearly picked up that something wasn't quite right with what he was telling them, and was trying to get him to reveal more in case he slipped up on some important details that would give her additional insight into his mysterious past. Unfortunately for Hermione, he knew her game, and he'd been playing it for a lot longer.

"Quaint, Canadian schools… while educational on a truly phenomenal scale… are somewhat lacking in the more practical applications of magic."

"They're great for magical theorizing, but Hogwarts has a reputation for better preparing its students for the real world than any other magical school in the history of the world. Theoretical knowledge can only get you so far in these times of war eh." Merlin explained to all of them, and he was pleased to realize he was being 100 percent truthful in this case. He had indeed taken classes in literally every magical school on earth, but found himself drawn back here to Hogwarts time and time again. And it wasn't just because Britain was Merlin's first true home… Hogwarts was literally just that good.

Hermione seemed slightly less suspicious of him by that point, and Merlin sighed internally with relief. He'd have to be more careful around her; as she was clearly more astute than the rest of her classmates. "So, have you found yourself a girlfriend in all the time you spent back in Canada? I mean, you must have left somebody behind, right?" Ginny asked him in what almost seemed to be a flirtatious manner. Merlin shook his head somewhat morosely, deciding he should try and be as honest with these people as he could.

"I try not to get too attached to people these days; my best friend was run through by a dark wizard with a sick fascination with swords and I arrived too late to save him. It's why I can see Thestrals, and I swore to myself that I'd never be powerless or too late to help in that sort of situation ever again. Unfortunately, it has impacted my ability to get close to people these last few years. I guess some part of me was afraid of having to go through something like that again." Merlin told them in sad reminiscence, knowing he was referring to Arthur as all eyes fell on him. A few of the other students amidst the crowd had heard their discussion, but Merlin honestly didn't care about them. Ginny blanched as white as a ghost upon hearing this. "I'm so sorry… I didn't know." She whispered frantically, and Merlin laughed.

"My God Ginny, you should see your face right now. And don't apologise, like you said, you couldn't have known that. Besides, it was a lifetime ago; I've had time to cope." He reassuringly stated. Ginny nodded slowly, but still looked like she felt bad for bringing up bad memories, even if unintentionally. Harry's heart went out to Martin in those moments, and as of that revelation he officially decided to welcome Martin into their little group. "Well, we're here guys, this is the Great Hall Martin." Hermione welcomingly stated, and Merlin came to the realization that they were showing him around.

The doors were wide open to admit a growing, boisterous crowd of students; from first-years all the way to seventh as Merlin found himself beaming. ' _Some things about this school never change. I just wish there wasn't that stupid divide between the Houses and the House tables. None of the founders wanted their selective students to be that badly alienated_.' Merlin mused inwardly as he saw the headmaster and the other teachers sitting at the far end and realized he'd have to talk with the headmaster. "You guys should head on to your table. I haven't been sorted yet and I need to make some inquiries with the Headmaster about the nature of these tests." Merlin told them as Hermione nodded and she and the other Gryffindors moved to their table while Merlin fell in line behind the First-Years. He knew the transfer student situation at Hogwarts, and had done it enough times to know that until he was sorted he'd be regarded as one of the first-years, even if he was several years older.

He could see a stern, intimidating woman who was no doubt Professor Minerva McGonagall, towering over the group of first-years and preparing the Sorting Hat ceremony with a list of names in her hand. He could see the ancient hat sitting on its usual perch overtop of its tall, wooden stool, and he couldn't help feeling nostalgic. Professor McGonagall cast him a speculative glance as Merlin grinned cheekily at her, and true to her reputation as a highly professional teacher, didn't even dignify him with the classic eye-roll response or much of anything else.

"I sent the Headmaster a transferal request from Canada and made my way here in the hopes of attending this school. I don't really know the protocol for this though, I know that Professor Dumbledore wanted me here to be tested, but I don't know much else beyond that." Merlin admitted, much to the first-year students' chagrin as they noticed his complete lack of a British accent. The older students started whispering amongst themselves at their respective tables, and Merlin repressed the urge to groan.

Clearly, he was a complete unknown here and they didn't get transfer students all that often. McGonagall on the other hand, nodded understandingly, and indicated the sorting hat and chair beside her. "Standard protocol for transfer students is to be sorted first; your student-year verification test will begin after the feast in Professor Dumbledore's office. You can sit at any table you wish while the sorting ceremony for the first-years starts; though I'd recommend my house since you seemed to be acquainted with Mister Potter and his friends when you walked in here. You will be sorted after the rest of the first-years, and your testing will begin about an hour after the start-of-term feast; assuming of course, you've been accepted into our school as you claim." She replied while casting the Headmaster a questioning glance at the table behind her, who nodded with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

With that out of the way, Merlin decided to join Harry and the others at the Gryffindor table for the time being, but not before he surreptitiously winked at the Sorting Hat. He might have been imagining it, but he could've sworn he saw the hat smirking knowingly before settling back into a passively expressionless face. Merlin could feel the eyes of the first-years on him, their natural open-mindedness to the wonders of magic enabling them to feel his true presence somewhat.

With his seat taken between Harry and Ginny at old Gody's table; Merlin awaited the inevitable song the Sorting Hat would sing to not so subtly acknowledge his presence here in the castle, and just like the last time… he didn't need to wait long as the hat burst into song that very moment.

_In times of old, when I was new,_

_And Hogwarts barely started,_

_The founders of our noble school_

_Thought never to be parted._

_United by a common goal,_

_They had the selfsame yearning,_

_To make the world's best magic school_

_And pass along their learning._

_"Together we will build and teach"_

_The four good friends decided._

_And never did they dream that they_

_Might someday be divided._

_For were there such friends anywhere_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

_Unless it was the second pair_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw._

_So how could it have gone so wrong?_

_How could such friendships fail?_

_Why, I was there, so I can tell_

_The whole sad, sorry tale._

_Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those_

_Whose ancestry's purest."_

_Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose_

_Intelligence is surest."_

_Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those_

_With brave deeds to their name."_

_Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot_

_And treat them just the same."_

_These differences caused little strife_

_When first they came to light._

_For each of the four founders had_

_A house in which they might…_

_Take only those they wanted, so,_

_For instance, Slytherin_

_Took only pure-blood wizards_

_Of great cunning just like him._

_And only those of sharpest mind_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw_

_While the bravest and the boldest_

_Went to daring Gryffindor._

_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest_

_And taught them all she knew,_

_Thus, the Houses and their founders_

_Maintained friendships firm and true._

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

_For several happy years,_

_But then discord crept among us_

_Feeding on our faults and fears._

_The Houses that, like pillars four_

_Had once held up our school_

_Now turned upon each other and_

_Divided, sought to rule._

_And for a while it seemed the school_

_Must meet an early end._

_What with dueling and with fighting_

_And the clash of friend on friend._

_And at last there came a morning_

_When old Slytherin departed_

_And though the fighting then died out_

_He left us quite downhearted._

_And never since the founders four_

_Were whittled down to three_

_Have the Houses been united_

_As they once were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here_

_And you all know the score:_

_I sort you into Houses_

_Because that is what I'm for._

_But this year I'll go further,_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to split you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong,_

_Though I must fulfill my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether sorting_

_May not bring the end I fear._

_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_

_The warning history shows,_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within_

_I have told you, I have warned you..._

_Let the Sorting now begin…_

_But wait, there's one more detail_

_I have yet to share with you all_

_For the founders, five there were_

_The last one though, most do not recall._

_With eyes that glow a molten gold_

_He's magic itself given human form_

_Taught the founders everything they know,_

_His enemies will bear his storm._

_For immortal he is, a God among us all_

_He never wanted Hogwarts split apart_

_Alone he's been, for nearly 2000 years_

_He has the biggest heart_

_So let me end my song,_

_With one final parting shot_

_Great Merlin, if you can hear me,_

_Not all have forgotten you were a spectacular tosspot._

The entire Great Hall was silent for moments after the ending of the ancient hat's song while Merlin fought the urge to grin. ' _Well, that's a new one. I have to admit; that old hat gets more creative with my part in the song every time I set foot in this place._ ' Merlin mentally snickered in silent amusement.

Dumbledore recovered first and gave the hat a standing ovation, prompting others to join in; even the Slytherins clapped, albeit hesitantly. Only the toad-like woman dressed in pink sitting at the teacher's table seemed uninterested in praising the hat, though her eyes were scrutinizing the Gryffindor table and fell on Merlin as she singled him out; he stared back unflinchingly until she looked away, not in the least bit intimidated by her. She clearly had something against transfers from other countries. Merlin could sense a great deal of prejudices of many kinds bleeding off of her in palpable, black waves of sadism. That woman was bad news to the students here, and he was worried about what he might do if she went too far in her cruelty.

"When I call your names, I will ask you to sit on the stool, and I will place the sorting hat on your head. Once I do so, you will be sorted into your houses." McGonagall instructed the first-years in an even tone as Merlin turned his attention to the whispering mutters of the older students all around him.

"That was… interesting." Ron simply stated, effectively summing up the Sorting Hat's latest song in a nutshell.

Sir Nicolas the Gryffindor ghost's head appeared from under the table that very moment. "The Sorting Hat's been known to sing of togetherness and union during times of great conflict, and it sings of Merlin even less. I've only ever heard him sing of Merlin one other time, 300 some years ago. Some speculate he does so whenever Merlin returns to the school; some say he's capable of blending in with the students or the teachers; of course, it's all just hogwash in my opinion." Nearly Headless Nick informed them all as Hermione's eyes widened at the implications.

"But that's impossible, Merlin lived close to 2000 years ago; he'd be long dead by now." She stammered uncomprehendingly, while Ron shrugged and Harry smirked.

"He'd have to look pretty damn good for his age in order to blend in with the students after two thousand years; bloody hell… what's his secret if that's true?" He said with a perfect poker-face, causing Ron, Ginny, and even Hermione to chuckle.

"You don't think Merlin could still be alive after all that time do you?" Ginny asked everyone at large, and it was Merlin who decided to pipe up.

"The Sorting Hat certainly seems to think so." He stated matter-of-factually, and just like that the questions stopped and everyone resumed watching the Sorting Ceremony; though Merlin could have sworn he saw Hermione glancing at him and deduced she was considering him as the common denominator in this Merlin equation. He was the only unknown, and an anomalous figure to boot; he could sense she was starting to wonder if his timely arrival wasn't pure coincidence.

' _Damn, that girl is too smart for her own good. If she figures it out on her own I've actually half a mind not to modify her memory afterwards_.' He internally contemplated his choices, but to his mild displeasure; Hermione shook her head as though banishing the thoughts in them and returned her attention to McGonagall; the Gryffindor table erupting into cheers every time they got a new student. It seemed the bushy-haired brunette wasn't open-minded enough to the wonders of magic to accept this irrationality, it was really too bad in Merlin's honest opinion… it would have been a hell of a record in Hogwarts history. No other student in the history of the school would have been able to claim figuring it out that fast, but it seemed Hermione's brain couldn't accept the absurdity. It also seemed she thought that the explanation was too simple… he'd have to work on opening her mind some more if that was true.

The Great Hall sounded with thunderous applause every time one of the students was sorted, and Merlin kept one of his slightly oversized ears on the list of first-year students McGonagall called for the sorting ceremony. A lot of the students had stopped bursting into a standing ovation but Merlin watched with keen fascination; having always loved to see a new generation of witches and wizards come onto their own. It was as he was getting lost in thoughts of when he crafted his first broom among other memories that he became aware of McGonagall calling out to him.

"Martin Emrys, your sorting will now begin if I could trouble you for half a second." She called him over, not in a tone of irritation or exasperation; if anything, she looked to be fighting a smile at his apparent distractedness.

Merlin nodded once and got up from his table, flashing a playful wink at Ginny beside him along with a cheeky grin as he made his way over to the sorting stool. This was it, the moment of truth; he knew the Sorting Hat was already aware of his presence here, but he was going to be in for one helluva shock when he saw the last 50-years of Merlin's life in his mind. He tried to look at least somewhat tentative as he walked up to the stool and felt every eye on him; he really did, but truth be told he was just too damn excited to be back at Hogwarts again. It truly was the first real home he'd had since Camelot.

He took his spot on the stool and waited with baited breath as the ridiculously oversized hat was placed on his head and enveloped him all the way down past his nose. ' _So, you've returned_?' The hat telepathed excitedly, and Merlin sent him the mental equivalent of a nod.

' _Indeed I have old friend; I trust you've been faring well_.' Merlin answered; allowing the hat to see everything he'd been up to for the past few hundred years, including the growing sickness of the Old Religion, all the way to AIC's deification of him fifty-years-ago. To say the hat was astounded by the powers Merlin now possessed and the destiny he had in store for himself would've been a huge understatement.

' _So, you've undergone a magical apotheosis unlike any other; you've become the most powerful wielder of magic in this and every other world, dimension, etc. That's all fine and good Merlin, but I worry what might become of you should you get too bored with us mere mortals; remember that absolute power absolutely corrupts all but the best of us_.' The hat advised him sagely as Merlin grinned cheekily.

' _I promised Arthur I'd never change who I am underneath all the Emrys bullshit and I intend to honor that promise. The truth is the Old Religion is sick, the old ways are forgotten to all but a few, and the magic that I once possessed had to be rerouted back into the earth, sea, and skies in order to try and heal the hurts of the world. The Old Religion, while still as powerful as it once was, has one fatal flaw. It was woven into the very fabric of the world and thus tied to its fate; that's why modern magic has adapted to the use of focal points like wands and staffs… Magic itself will continue to get sicker as the earth continues to be polluted and the oceans damaged by oil as the muggles continue upsetting the balance of nature with their advancements. If it weren't for magic taking on a new form to adapt to Earth's current environment, it may have even faded completely by now._

 _It's a damn good thing AIC interfered because he has given me the means to bring magic back to its former glory and then some; to give everyone the ability to achieve some form of it, regardless of creed or ethnicity. Magic should not be something of an exclusive nature, and I intend to make a world where magic is equally accepted by all people; that the division between muggles and beings of magic is abolished. It's about time I started taking a more proactive role in all of this, and helping Harry Potter seize his destiny and defeat Tom Riddle is the first step. So, the only question left is; what house will you sort me into to help me along on my mission_?' Merlin answered back, his smile never faltering in the slightest as the Sorting Hat chuckled.

' _You know as well as I do that I can't pass judgment on the living embodiment of Magic itself; even less so now that you're the most powerful of all God Magic Conduits in this Omni Omega Omnispherical reality AIC described. You must choose for yourself which house you will be in, just as you have always done every time you've come back to this place_.' The hat playfully admonished and reminded him, and Merlin sent him a telepathic image of him pouting slightly.

' _I knew you were going to say that, but I had to ask. Who knows, maybe someday you'll actually choose my house for me one of these days, but for now I'm going to choose Ravenclaw_.' Merlin informed him.

' _Very well, then you may join your fellow classmates in…_ Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted the last word aloud to everyone in the hall as Merlin removed it from his head and placed it neatly back on the stool. He gave it a quick pat while making his way over to the applauding Ravenclaw table. He caught Harry and his friends looking somewhat disappointed by the hat's decision and quickly sent them a nod and a reassuring smile which they caught; he then proceeded to sit down beside Luna Lovegood who looked to her side at him with what appeared to be surprise that someone was sitting by her. Her protuberant silvery eyes seemed to almost shine for one imperceptible moment as Merlin gave her a comforting nod.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Martin. I'm Cho Chang; one of Ravenclaw's Prefects." A cute Asian girl around Luna's approximate age introduced herself as she reached across the table to shake Merlin's hand; which he gladly accepted. He could see the sadness in her eyes as he remembered hearing about the death of her boyfriend Cedric Diggory last year, and flashed an ultra-luminous smile. He tried not to let the fact that Luna was sitting by herself bother him too much as he politely introduced himself to everyone and told his fellow Ravenclaw students a little bit about Canada and where he was supposedly from.

It was at this moment that the welcoming feast materialized before them in all its succulent, heavenly glory. A myriad of different smells hit Merlin's nostrils as he and Luna seemed to notice the abundance of pudding choices at the same time and reached for it as a unit. Merlin pulled away the second his hand brushed Luna's, looking over at her sitting beside him and deciding to let her help herself first. She smiled gratefully at him, and began loading up her plate with some Yorkshire pudding, gravy, roast beef, and carrots among other things. In all honesty, Merlin had grown past the need for sustenance anyways. He only continued to eat because it felt right, and his stomach still afflicted him with phantom sensations of hunger, like it was still remembering that it once needed food. He also needed to keep up the appearance that he was a human being.

It was a solid half-an-hour later that most of everyone had eaten their fill, and McGonagall tapped a wine glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention as Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the head table. The entire hall fell silent as a unit, and Merlin had to refrain from giving an impressed whistle; despite the British Ministry of Magic doing everything it could to tarnish the wizened wizard's reputation, Dumbledore's mere presence still commanded so much respect.

Merlin idly wondered how wizards would react in his presence if they knew who he was, and didn't want to deal with that kind of reverence on a daily basis. He honestly didn't know how people like Dumbledore thrived so well when cast into the limelight so assuredly; he'd spent most of his life in Camelot shying away from the glory and literal godhood he could've attained overnight, and frankly the idea still made him feel moderately uncomfortable. Even hearing how wizards and witches today used terms like ' _Merlin's Beard_ ' or other variations of his name in vain; it just didn't sit well in the bottom of his stomach.

"Good evening children. Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who'll be taking care of Magical Creatures; while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave." Dumbledore paused for a moment as some of the students whispered and muttered amongst themselves; evidently wondering why Hagrid was gone as Merlin kept his eyes on the head table and Dumbledore himself, tuning everyone else out.

"We also wish to welcome our new Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge. And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the Professor good luck. Now, as usual our caretaker, Mister Filch; has asked me to remind you…" Dumbledore stopped suddenly as a noise interrupted him midsentence.

" _Hem, Hem_ ," Umbridge suddenly made a sound as though clearing her throat, stopping Dumbledore and the others cold as she got up from her seat; Merlin's eyes narrowed at the woman's sadistic back energy signature. There was something very off about that woman, and Merlin opted to keep an eye on her as she walked around the front of the head table and gave them all a sickeningly sweet smile. She was a short, stout woman with a round pudgy face and big, bulging eyes that gave her uncanny resemblance to a toad. She was dressed in entirely too much pink, and she had to be the most unattractive woman Merlin had ever laid eyes on. He supposed that was more to do with her attitude and less to do with her actual appearance; appearances alone were nothing in the grand scheme of things… but being a total bitch was inexcusable.

"Thank you so very much Headmaster for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely it is to see all you're bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends." She said in a voice so sweet it was likely to give somebody diabetes; the DADA Professor indicating the students as though she were speaking to kids no older than five. Merlin mimed a gag that had Luna's lips twitching dangerously upward, and he heard the Weasley Twins muttering ' _that's likely_ ' in sarcastic response to Umbridge's opening statement.

As though she hadn't heard either Fred and George's perfectly synchronized, identical comment, or Merlin's own display; Delores carried on unabatedly. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something… new to this historic school…" Umbridge paused to indicate Dumbledore who inclined his head at her politely in return.

"Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be… _prohibited_.' Umbridge finished her speech with a girlish giggle that sounded anything but genuine. Dumbledore applauded her, and his doing so stirred others to do the same.

"Thank you very much Professor Umbridge; that was most illuminating. Now, Mister Filch has asked me to remind you that magic in the corridors in forbidden…" Dumbledore continued his speech as though he had never been interrupted in the first place, but Merlin furrowed his eyebrows angrily at the delivery of Umbridge's speech.

' _So the Ministry of Magic is interfering at Hogwarts is it? I know I've been gone a long while but I seem to recall Hogwarts being private property and having its own government. I'll definitely need to keep an eye on this_.' Merlin stated inwardly, not wanting to play some of the cards he had up his sleeve unless he absolutely had to; though this was the first time he'd been tempted to do just that in a very long time. The fact that the four founders had left Hogwarts in his name and that he owned it even to this day; he was hoping he didn't have to produce the records that showed Hogwarts was a privately owned school and one free from Ministry influence. Anger and rage boiled his blood at the audacity the Minister was showing right now. Merlin didn't want to resort to threatening or taking away anyone's magic permanently as he had done to corrupt politicians in the past, but Fudge was seriously crossing a line here. He gritted his teeth to try and keep his cool, focusing on slicing some roast beef with fresh beef gravy.

If it came down to it, and this woman implemented too many changes the founders wouldn't have wanted; Merlin would do whatever it took to keep the memory of his friends and the idea they had for this school intact. This was exactly what they had been trying to avoid, having the government get in their business and try to dictate how things at Hogwarts were run. This was seriously overstepping the limits of his station, even for Cornelius Fudge. Merlin had half a mind to march straight into the ministry and give Fudge a piece of his mind.

' _Calm down Merlin! You aren't going to help anyone by blowing up and murdering the British Magical Government_!' He told himself in an internal mantra, but he was so angered by the deplorable state of things he could barely focus on his food. He'd been out of Britain for far too long if its magical government had deteriorated this badly.

His tension eased when he felt a soft, small hand resting lightly on top of his own, and he looked beside him to see Luna flashing him an easygoing, reassuring smile. How she seemed to be so attuned to his feelings right now was beyond him, though he suspected she could've been a low-level empath or something. It wouldn't be the first time he came across a wizard or witch with that ability… Rowena Ravenclaw had it like no other mortal witch he'd ever known. That ability was probably half the reason she was so in sync with everybody's thoughts and emotions and why she earned her reputation as one of the smartest witches in all of History.

Aware of the fact that he was calming down, Luna's hand left his before anyone had noticed their little moment and went back to handling her knife to get at the last vestiges of her roost beef and Yorkshire pudding.

The rest of his dinner was eaten largely in silence, though he did share a few conversations with some more of his fellow Ravenclaws here and there. It was as he was wrapping up his second and final plateful of food that he sensed Professor Dumbledore staring at him from up at the head table, and he realized it was time for him to begin his tests.

"Could you do me a favor Luna and tell one of the Prefects that I'll be back in the Common Room later tonight? I need to be tested by the Headmaster to determine what year I'll be in?" Merlin asked the blonde girl with an impish grin, and Luna nodded with a dazzling smile.

"Of course Martin, did you hear that Cho?" She responded, looking over at Cho Chang on the other side of the Ravenclaw Table who chuckled and smiled over at Merlin.

"Loud and clear you guys; you know Martin… you could just come ask us directly. You don't need to ask Luna to do it for you." Cho reassuringly stated, and Merlin nodded as he got up from his table and moved away from the chatting mass of students all around him. Seeing him heading over to their table, Professor Dumbledore stood up as well and addressed the students one last time, a twinkle in his dazzling blue eyes.

"While I am sure your prefects will do an adequate job of leading you to your Dormitories; do try and keep in mind what I've said about the Dark Forest. And try your best not to wander off too much. Ah, but look at the time… I've kept you all here far too long while your beds so anxiously await you; as warm and as comfortable as you could possibly want them. Off you pop now." He instructed them with a shooing motion of his hands as the children all got up one by one and began to file out of the room in groups of three, four, and other variants.

With that out of the way, Merlin and the eccentric Professor stayed behind along with a greasy black-haired man with equally black robes that gave him the look of a bat, as well as Professor McGonagall and surprisingly Umbridge. "Headmaster, do you really think it a good idea to be accepting foreign students into this School? I do hope you've done all of the necessary background checks and standard protocols. Why, I can't even remember the last time there's been a transfer student in our school; I do hope you know what you are doing." Umbridge protested in a tone that clearly conveyed her displeasure.

Merlin reckoned it had something to do with Dumbledore not consulting her on the matter; which only furthered his ire towards the current Ministry. Why, of all the entitled presumptions they could've made… he was surprised to find himself taking deep breaths as surreptitiously as possible in order to calm his growing rage. He was surprised to find himself longing for Luna's calming influence, despite only knowing her for a couple of hours her serenity in any given situation was like a balm to his ancient and eternal fury.

Dumbledore however, was far more relaxed about the situation, though Merlin's keen omni-empathic senses detected traces of irritation flashing within him. He concealed his annoyance well though… much better than Merlin did. ' _It just goes to show that age alone doesn't always make a difference… this man has a lot of natural talent in this field_.' It was ironic really… towards the end of his Camelot days he had an iron clad grip on his emotions… but ever since his Apotheosis he was hyper-sensitive to the emotional challenges of other people and was always quick to get angry or even vicious on the behalf of the many hapless victims of people like Voldemort or his Death Eaters. He'd need to retain some of his composure from back in Camelot if he was going to make it through the year without killing anyone needlessly.

"Professor Umbridge… I can assure you we have done everything in accordance with standard protocol; Martin here will be subjected to all kinds of tests to determine his background and the kind of man he is. Call me old fashioned but I believe seeing someone face to face is a far more efficient method of determining their character than running a background check on them when said documents could easily be forged. Having him here in person is the best way we here at Hogwarts can think of." Dumbledore explained to her matter-of-factually.

"And if he should constitute a threat to this school for whatever reason?" Umbridge inquired skeptically, her eyebrow raised.

Dumbledore and Merlin both smiled at this. "Then he shall be dealt with accordingly I can assure you. I must admit Dolores; you surprise me with your paranoia and fear given your Ministry's standing on the issue with Voldemort. I was of the impression you thought everything was fine… yet you expect me to tread on the side of caution with this youth from a place that is well known and friendly with almost every other country in the world." Dumbledore rebutted, and Merlin had to repress the urge to whistle appreciatively as Umbridge drew back in surprise.

' _Damn… this man is good_!' He exclaimed internally, extremely impressed despite himself.

"I'm glad that Canada seems to have such an outstanding reputation even in a place as far out as here." Merlin couldn't help but add his two cents worth, and Dumbledore chuckled while Umbridge huffed indignantly like a spoiled child who had been denied a piece of candy.

"Determining the potential risks of letting a possibly dangerous immigrant into our nation is not the same thing as all of your fear mongering regarding the once greatest Dark Wizard of our time, and his alleged return Dumbledore." She rebutted, and Merlin couldn't help but retaliate with some cold, hard logic of his own.

"I fail to see how one minor wizard of 15-years could present a threat to an entire nation single-handed- especially with wizards as powerful as the headmaster living in its midst- Madam Umbridge. I mean, what can an unassuming boy such as I possibly do to overcome such odds?" He argued, and Umbridge's eye twitched as she racked her brains for a reasonable response to that. McGonagall looked impressed at his ability to hold his own in a public debate with an elected official of the Ministry, while Snape merely looked bored and Dumbledore's expression was unreadable.

"I… admit you may have a point young man; perhaps I was being a bit abrasive." Umbridge reluctantly admitted… clearly the idea of a single minor overcoming the entire Wizarding Britain was just as ludicrous to her as it was to anyone else in the room. Merlin was glad they didn't know the truth at this point… because the fact was he could bring this entire world to its knees if he felt so inclined. Not that he ever would, he cared too much about the innocent people he would inevitably be hurting by doing so. His reign of terror would end at the sight of the first crying child, and anyone who knew him knew it to.

"No hard feelings Professor; treading on the side of caution is good, healthy even. I daresay we might all live a little longer if we retain constant vigilance. That doesn't mean you should let paranoia rule every aspect of your life, but as the muggles say; it's better to be safe than sorry." Merlin said in a laid-back tone. He wasn't about to let this toad see that she got to him, and with Dumbledore maintaining his otherworldly calm Merlin felt naturally inclined to do the same.

"Well said Mister Emrys." Professor McGonagall complimented him, and Merlin had the common courtesy to blush sheepishly.

"Thank you Professor. So um… how are we going to be doing this? I don't really know the protocol for any of this but I'm guessing we're not doing this here in the Great Hall; even if the other students have cleared out." Merlin inquired, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"We will be taking this to my office first of course. I will be testing you on your theoretical knowledge of various subjects including Arithmancy, Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms, Magical History, Care of Magical Creatures, and Herbology to name a few while Professor McGonagall will be supervising your tests in Transfiguration both theoretical and practical to determine your level of efficiency on the subject. Professor Snape here will be overseeing how you handle Potions in the fifth-year syllabus and if I'm not mistaken will require you to complete a certain potion within a set timeframe. He will also be evaluating your duelling skills; because although the practice for duelling is often seen as unnecessary by certain parties…" Dumbledore paused as he glanced at Umbridge through the corner of his merrily twinkling eyes, before returning his undivided attention back at Merlin.

"It will give you a clear idea of how to defend yourself in the event you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation- regardless of how likely or unlikely that situation is." He finished his explanation, expecting Merlin to be nervous about partaking in all that. He was pleasantly surprised when the Warlock nodded in acceptance of these tests.

" _Hem, hem_.' Professor Umbridge interrupted with a clearing of her throat, reminding Merlin of a time when he did that to throw Arthur off his game while betting against him in dice.

"And I will be overseeing all of your tests and providing a second opinion to each of the Teachers; it is my hope that you will be able to keep up with the studies of your age's grade." She added with a sickeningly sweet smile that made Merlin's neck hairs stand on end. This woman just rubbed him in all the wrong ways

"I think I can manage; I attended Canada's top magical institute and even received some special tutelage from my Uncle Gaius- who was a genius in potions- after my parents passed away. Unfortunately, while my Uncle was very proficient with potions he was also very old by time he adopted me, and I recently had to bury him to. It was his wish that I attend Hogwarts, and that's why I'm here now." Merlin explained in a tone laden with heavy emotions of old. He knew that while he editing a lot of the details of his life it was certainly true that he had buried a ton of people in his impossibly long life.

Gaius had been the first to die; old age and the stress of keeping Merlin's secret had finally caught up to him in the end it seemed. Gwen and the Knights of the Round Table didn't feel like that much longer; though they were some of the first ones to notice that Merlin wasn't aging. After speaking to Gwen on her deathbed, Merlin swore he would never again set foot in Camelot. He had too many memories and people he once loved there; the memory of their deaths had been much too fresh and painful at the time.

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked shocked by this admission, though the former hid it well. Even Snape looked sympathetic; the only person among them who was unaffected by this revelation was Umbridge… though at least she didn't say anything unnecessarily nasty. "It is hard to lose the ones we care for; yet it is a reality we all must face one day. I'm sure your parents would be very proud of the man you are today Martin, and we'll make sure you honor your uncle's wishes by giving you the best Hogwarts education you can possibly get." Dumbledore said in a tone that conveyed his deepest sympathies and condolences; like he had been where Merlin is at and knew exactly what it felt like.

Given that the wizened wizard was well over a century old; Merlin honestly didn't doubt he had suffered losses close to him as well… though what were the losses of a century compared to 15 of them back to back? Merlin honestly couldn't say, couldn't remember when he had been young enough to celebrate his 100th birthday. Still, if there was anyone in this room who could relate to what Merlin was feeling even a little, it was the man standing in front of him.

"Agreed Professor, and I intend to honor my Uncle's final wishes by doing so as well. Here's to a new beginning, and to new and unfamiliar faces. A fresh start may be just what the doctor ordered." Merlin said with a small but genuine smile. With that emotional moment out of the way, Dumbledore got up and starting leading them away to his office.

Merlin followed and tried not to display too much familiarity with the castle; which meant he needed to remember to look around him in false awe and wonder. Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Umbridge all clearly knew the way to the Headmaster's office as much as Merlin did, and Merlin tried not to think back to a time when that office was sat in by old Godric Gryffindor himself. He missed his old friends very dearly, and the price of immortality was that he had to keep everyone at arm's length; lest he be even more cut up when he inevitably lost them. The mysterious Entity AIC had given him a gift more amazing than any other in his opinion… the power to share his immortality with others, or to take away his own if need be.

He knew it was only a matter of time before he found that one special person or people that he couldn't bear to lose, and he would need his ZOF Master tier God Magic when that time came. He often toyed with the idea of severing his immortal ties, but thought better of it. There were too many people whose lives he had the capacity to touch and too many worlds for him to save when this one turned to dust. Like it or not he was part of something greater now than he ever could've imagined, and it wasn't just about him anymore; he also had to think about all the people whose destinies he would inevitably influence for the better. When put into such irrefutable terms as this; Merlin found it difficult not to accept all of this new power he had been given. It was certainly a helluva lot easier than what the Old Religion had bestowed upon him; at least this way he could find someone to share his immortal life and experiences with, if only he could convince them to put up with him for eternity.

He reflected and reminisced for long enough that they arrived at the Headmaster's office door before he even realized they'd moved more than a few feet. The stone gargoyle stood guard at the entryway; just as it did when Hogwarts was first founded. A millennium's worth of ambient magical energy was channeled through every level of this castle's infrastructure, and Merlin hadn't felt this at home in a long time. Even when beings like Voldemort, Uther, or Morgana threatened to destroy everything he ever stood for; there was magic at the heart of places like Camelot, Hogwarts, and of all things in the Omni Omega Omnisphere itself. It was a comforting conclusion to come to. Magic was ancient and forever… the God Magic and the ZOF infinitely more so.

He didn't hear Professor Dumbledore mutter the password, nor did he pay attention when the stone gargoyle leapt aside to admit them as a spiraling staircase revealed itself behind the now open doorway. He was too busy reveling in the magic and wonder of this world and the endless realities that existed beyond it.

Feeling at ease and confident in his ability to breeze through all the tests, Merlin preceded the last of the Professors up the stairs and reminded himself not to come across as too precocious. The last thing he wanted was to be placed in the NEWT year ahead of the other '15-year-olds'; he was here to help Harry fulfill his destiny… and the best way he could do that was to stay as close to him as possible. Being swamped with the workload of a Seventh Year, even if it was easy worth for him… would cut into his non-relativistic time to be there with Harry and his friends in the thick of things.

Once inside of the familiar yet equally unfamiliar office; Merlin took his seat in the chair across from Dumbledore, at the desk in the center of the room. It looked different from what he remembered; though a heck of a lot more cluttered, disorganized, and full of various trinkets. It was simultaneously the most unprofessional and well-loved setup Merlin had ever seen in this place and it painted the current Headmaster in an even more flattering light in the ancient Warlock's mind. It had a strangely comfortable feel to it; almost like Dumbledore made this place his home rather than his office. Dumbledore had livened the place up by a rather impressive margin compared to the last headmaster Merlin visited in here.

"I apologize for the clutter; I daresay I have collected far too many knick-knacks in my long life." Dumbledore chuckled in a tone that indicated he wasn't actually sorry at all.

"I like it, this place has both a sense of history to it as well as a comfortable aura; you're definitely one of a kind Professor." Merlin commented, and Dumbledore beamed at the compliment before getting down to business. Reaching into his desk drawer, he withdrew a set of sheets that Merlin could only guess were the standard grading tests of the school. This was the one for the fifth-year program, and Merlin knew if he could get an acceptable mark on these tests he'd be home free to start his Hogwarts education once again in the OWL year. The main issue he had lied in downplaying his talents to an acceptable standard for a fifth-year student. If he came across as too precocious or too knowledgeable they might be inclined to put him in a higher grade. On the other hand, if he downplayed too much they might make him join the 4th years or lower; neither one of those scenarios was desirable for what he had planned.

"This test covers all of the subjects I mentioned to you previously; each subject is categorized separately from each other from subject one onwards. Your first subject will be Arithmancy, the second category will cover theoretical defense, the third one charms, and so on and so forth. You have two hours to complete it; you may begin." Dumbledore instructed as Merlin nodded and grabbed the provided quill from within the bottle of ink and got to writing.

Arithmancy was actually surprisingly similar to the Muggle subject of mathematics, and Merlin worked like a well-oiled machine while at the same time trying to work slow enough to finish within the allotted timeframe. He was already through the first subject in less than ten minutes, and even faster still with defense considering his vast knowledge of the subject. Considering the number of times he had to defend himself against various users of the Old Religion and new magic users alike. One question in particular asked him how best to defend against a killing curse when no spell could block or counter it. He wrote down blocking it indirectly by intercepting it with inanimate objects via Transfiguration, or simply dodging it. In hindsight, he probably should've figured most fifth-year wizards wouldn't have known the trick with inanimate object and simply would've put dodging. But in his defense it had been a long time since he was 15 so it came as no surprise that he didn't always know what passed for an acceptable answer by a teenaged person's standards.

Another asked him what incantation was used to negate the effects of most spells within the vicinity of the user. Merlin wrote down the only possible answer as _Finite Incantatum_. And with that he was through a good deal of the test in less than 15 minutes; not that he was keeping track of the time. If he had been he would've surely slowed his pace, but as it was he was done the entire test in an all-time record of 25 minutes. He had lived long enough that two hours didn't feel any different to him than half-an-hour did; because in the sum total of his lifespan they both amounted to an infinitesimal fraction of his current age. Relativity could really be a git. It had gotten to the point where even recent epochs didn't drag on as long as they used to. Those first 100-years felt longer to Merlin from a relativistic standpoint than all the other centuries combined.

"Professor," Merlin decided to throw all caution to the wind and just hand in his test.

"Yes Martin, did you need something; more ink perhaps?" Dumbledore responded politely, evidently not expecting the bombshell Merlin was going to drop.

"Not at all Sir; it's just… I'm done." Merlin hesitantly replied, not missing the way Dumbledore's eyebrow arched or the way both Umbridge and McGonagall's eyes widened. Even Professor Snape looked flummoxed, and Merlin couldn't help but sweat drop at their poorly concealed reactions. The silver-bearded wizard was the first to recover from his stupor.

"Very well, I'll get back to you on how you did; in the meantime, Professor McGonagall will test you next, then Professor Snape. Professors, would you be so kind as to lead Martin to my deputy headmistress's classroom to begin the next phase of his testing? It would seem I find myself with a test to grade for the first time in a long while." Dumbledore requested politely of his three teachers, a look of mirth on his face and an especially delighted twinkle in his eye. Merlin reckoned the old man was caught up in old memories of his days as Transfiguration Teacher; he himself could sympathize, having grown nostalgic over some pretty bizarre things throughout the ages.

The three Professors lead Merlin out without so much as a word between them, though Merlin could see Snape and McGonagall exchanging furtive glances over what went on in the Headmaster's office. Snape was honestly impressed by the boy; it was no wonder the hat sorted him into Ravenclaw, and though the Professor had little beef with Ravenclaw compared to Gryffindor he considered it a personal loss that this new student wasn't in Slytherin. That being said, he went into the Headmaster's office expecting to be in there for hours; so it was no small relief that they only spent a half hour.

He hoped Martin continued his all-time record breaking brilliant streak from here on out; it would give the Potions Master time to prepare for the inevitable return to teaching his class to all of the students both loathsome and not. A certain Potter brat came to mind as Snape gritted his teeth. Dumbledore was constantly reminding him that Harry was Lilly's sun as much as he was James's, and seemed to have inherited all of their best qualities. Snape was not inclined to agree; however, he knew he would have to put up with the Potter boy for two more years at least. He promised to protect the boy out of the love he once harbored for Lily, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Mister Emrys; I must commend you on breezing through your test so quickly. If more students were as learned in theoretical knowledge as you are; I reckon this school would be a better place." Umbridge commented with false sweetness, and Merlin saw McGonagall refraining from making a biting comeback.

"Theoretical knowledge is easy, and where I come from the magical schools are all about theory. Still, I can't deny that Hogwarts's reputation for real-world practices is formidable. I suppose that might be why both my parents and my uncle wanted me to receive my formal education here." Merlin responded with a casual shrug. Umbridge scowled at this answer, and Merlin found himself wondering if that was not the kind of response she was looking for as she scribbled down on her clipboard with a furious scrawl.

"Too true Mister Emrys; theory alone is not enough to prepare a wizard or witch for the many dangers present in our world." McGonagall couldn't help adding her own input, which only resulted in more furious scratching of quill on paper from Umbridge. Merlin could tell they were at their destination, but remained outside the classroom door while Umbridge continued giving the ancient warlock a 411.

"There is nothing out there dear; who do you know that'd want to attack students like yourself?" Umbridge asked with a dangerous smile, and Merlin met her gaze unflinchingly.

"Just off the top of my head; there's the dark wizard with a fondness for magically imbued swords who ran my best friend through with one of them. There's also the Dementors of Azkaban which you guys are barely keeping under control; not to mention the many dangerous creatures that inhabit our world. Hell, even the muggles have created a weapon of mass destruction known as a Nuclear Bomb, which is the equivalent of a city-wide or even nation-wide killing curse being detonated. Many countries in the world have hundreds such bombs primed and ready to fire at a moment's notice; though the fact that their potential enemies also have said bombs is enough to stay their hand, all it takes is one trigger-happy person in a position of power to bring about Nuclear Armageddon. This scenario is referred to as MAD, or mutually assured destruction, and believe me… it's a fitting name."

"So, with all due respect Professor Umbridge; even if you're right about Voldemort not being back, and there are ways in which he could've survived the rebounding killing curse- none of which are inherently good in nature- there are still extremely viable threats just in the Muggle World alone. Hell, their guns may not be as versatile as a wand, but they're much quicker and almost always designed for the sole purpose of lethal force. Most humans don't have a quick enough reaction time to either dodge a bullet or shield against one in a wizard or Witch's case. And for all the advancements the muggles have made over the last 100 years; they're still pretty backwards when it comes to accepting change… which means they may still persecute our kind on sight." Merlin rebutted lengthily, and Umbridge looked at him with bulging eyes; accentuating her toad-like qualities even further.

"I… wasn't aware the muggles had made such advancements in recent years; this nuclear bomb situation alone could wipe us all out in one fell swoop." McGonagall commented with widened eyes. She had seen a lot in her long years, but the thought of something like a city-wide killing curse was enough to rattle even her impressive cage. What came to mind was the biggest bolt of green light ever raining down on a city from the skies above. It was beyond terrifying. She also made note of the fact that Martin had apparently lost his best friend to; so he lost his parents, his uncle, and his closest friend… she couldn't imagine suffering those kinds of losses back to back. Though there were many who could; especially those who fought in the first Wizarding War.

Merlin nodded in agreement while Snape stood there silently taking everything in. "That's the one fatal flaw regarding the Statute of Secrecy; the one aspect of it that'll come back to bite us in the ass. Wizards and witches throughout the world have become too closed off from the muggles, growing ignorant of their advancements. Honestly, the most dangerous Dark Wizard ever would be the one who isn't afraid to utilize those advancements. Could you even imagine if someone like Voldemort were to learn of the Nuclear Bombs; I bet that even he would show an appreciation for muggle technology if he did so… archaic as our world is by modern standards."

"So, while I won't say anything on the matter of Voldemort Professor Umbridge; it is foolishly arrogant for us to be taught to believe that everything is fine and dandy when the truth is it's a dangerous world out there. It's naïve to think that our safety is always going to be constant in the days to come, and bear in mind that I've given you some very specific examples outside of Voldemort about how our invincibility mindset could spell our own doom." Merlin concluded his explanation with a sigh, and Umbridge continued scrutinizing him while scratching furiously away with her quill. Clearly, she was stubbornly refusing to understand him beyond thinking of him as a raving lunatic with all sorts of conspiracy theories. She didn't believe a word he said about the outside world, and that attitude was going to get a lot of magic users killed.

"I would advise you not to bring any of these outrageous claims to the attention of your fellow classmates Mister Emrys." Was all she said, and Merlin sighed as he rubbed his temples and eased away the tension headache he felt coming on.

"Don't take this the wrong way Professor, but people like you are going to be the death of us all. I only hope when Minister Fudge realizes his mistake it isn't too late to fix it." Merlin whispered morosely.

"Minister Fudge is not mistaken Mister Emrys; I can assure you of that." Umbridge assured him, and Merlin's expression grew grave, sending an odd sort of chill resonating through the toad-like woman for reasons she couldn't fathom.

"You better pray you're not wrong Professor; for all our sakes." He responded in a perilous tone, before walking past her into the Transfiguration classroom; McGonagall and Snape not far behind him. Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of this man's claims; Umbridge was the last person to enter the classroom and closed the door behind her with a silent snap. While she would never admit it; something about Martin's demeanor and the sureness he presented when making his claims set her teeth on edge. For the first time, she questioned if she was truly right about everything.

XXXXX

 _An hour and a half later_ …

"Impressive, most impressive… you're saying he passed both of your tests with flying colors?" Dumbledore asked once more for clarification as both McGonagall and Snape nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, when I instructed Martin to perform the vanishing spell on a number of items in the classroom; he did so without pause or effort. He finished the written test in less than 20-minutes. I subtly suggested he try a number of conjuration spells; which I wouldn't normally recommend to anybody who wasn't a NEWT student… but he refused, claiming he wasn't ready to try his hand at seventh-year spells. I strongly suspect he wasn't being truthful when he told me this." McGonagall replied, and Dumbledore nodded with a look of delight in his eyes.

"Headmaster, I to required Martin Emrys to make an acceptable Drought of Peace within the hour, and he did so in a record setting time of just ten minutes; I honestly question whether I could've done better. What surprises me the most is what he said when I asked him how he finished so fast? He protested that it wasn't fast; which leads me to believe he could've completed the potion even faster." Snape added with his signature sneer in plain sight; though anyone who knew him as long as Albus had could tell the man was deeply impressed by Martin's performance.

"Wonderful, and the practice duel?" Dumbledore pressed, growing more intrigued by the enigmatic individual that was Martin Emrys.

"He seemed to possess a great deal of control and restraint, and I could tell he was clearly holding back when I dueled him. Even still, he managed to fall within the acceptable standards of the fifth-year syllabus; though I know he could do better if he was really trying. I don't think the OWL year is suitably challenging to a student of his obvious talents; I'd personally recommend putting him in Sixth-year or even the NEWT year." Snape responded dutifully, and McGonagall quirked an eyebrow.

"You're being uncharacteristically praising of the boy's talents." She noted, and Dumbledore looked to Umbridge who was busy scratching away at her clipboard. When she became aware of everyone's eyes on her, she barely acknowledged them.

"The boy's talents are exceptional; I'd agree with Severus regarding his placement." Was all she said before she went back to her clipboard, leaving the two teachers and the headmaster to continue discussing Martin's placement.

"What do you think Albus?" McGonagall asked the bearded wizard, and Dumbledore smiled as he stared at her through steeped fingers.

"I think the boy is simply extraordinary; he got every question right on the standard multi-subject test I gave him. I would be disinclined to agree with Severus's thoughts on where to place him… only because Martin seemed so adamant about being placed in the fifth-year curriculum. For whatever reason, he seems determined to remain with his own age group. I say we honor that request for now and see where it leads." Dumbledore answered her query, and while Snape nodded in accord McGonagall was more hesitant.

"I'll respect his wishes for now Albus, but the first sign I see of him not being challenged enough with the OWL course work I'm putting in a request for him to be placed in an older, more advanced year." She reassured them.

Albus Dumbledore clapped his hands in a jovial manner. "Excellent, I guess we can officially welcome Martin Emrys to Hogwarts then; I always find it exciting to promote international relations and our new transfer student could be the key to many things down the road." He exuberantly proclaimed, and McGonagall nodded and took that as her cue to leave. With the meeting adjourned, Umbridge to left the ridiculously cluttered office and made way for her new office in the DADA classroom. She'd have to update Fudge on recent events, and maybe suggest to someone in the Ministry of Defense to look into this Nuclear Bomb situation Martin mentioned in passing. She would rather die than indulge the whims of a disturbed teenage boy, but something about him chilled her to the core.

Once they left only Snape and Dumbledore remained, and Dumbledore chuckled thoughtfully as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "Should Emrys be given the good news that we've decided to keep him here?" the Potions Master queried, and Dumbledore shook his head.

"Tomorrow yes, but for now let him rest; I trust he will find his way to the Ravenclaw Common Room well enough." Dumbledore replied.

"I gave him very clear instructions on how to get there so he should be fine if he's as smart as he's been displaying. Do you think we can trust him headmaster? Do you think he could dangerous?" Snape asked him with a slightly worried frown. Dumbledore smiled mysteriously at this.

"Oh, I think he's dangerous Severus- maybe more than any of us are currently aware- but not to us. He's an enigma and some of the things he said in front of me as well as what you and Professor McGonagall have relayed to me… I think there is more to Martin Emrys than meets the eye. At the very least, he is wise far beyond his years."

XXXXX

Looking back on some of the things he'd spewed during his debate with Umbridge; Merlin wondered if he had displayed too much knowledge and forethought for a boy his apparent age. He was absolutely certain there was a limit to how much wisdom somebody could possess beyond their years. Making his way to the Ravenclaw Common Room, Merlin hoped he hadn't said too much too soon; he didn't want to tip anybody off to his immortal status anytime soon.

Was that the problem though? Maybe he was sick and tired of having to keep his biggest secret all the time; perhaps these displays of infinite wisdom were his way of subconsciously relieving the ache in his heart that came with living almost completely alone for the past 1500-years. Sure, it was within his power to select an eternal partner now… but that didn't just erase the last millennium and a half of watching everyone else die. He couldn't understand how anyone would want to live forever or even find the idea desirable.

Once again, time seemed to get away from him as he found himself standing outside of the Ravenclaw Common Room before he could even finish reflecting and pondering. He was pleasantly surprised to see none other than Luna Lovegood standing outside the door with a serene smile on her face; her protuberant grey eyes lighting up as she saw him climbing the staircase towards her.

"Hello Martin Emrys; I've been waiting for you. Welcome to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Our house is different from the others; instead of passwords to open our doors we get riddles instead." Luna explained to him in that oddly tranquil tone he'd come to expect as part of her norm. Merlin was shocked by the revelation that she waited outside for him this entire time.

"You waited for me, why?!" He asked her in a surprised tone, and Luna's smile widened almost imperceptibly.

"Well, if I were a new student coming to Hogwarts for the first time; I'd want to have someone nice to show me around and look out for me in case I ever got lost in the castle. I reckon it beats having to stand out here all alone, racking your brains trying to work out the riddle by yourself; two eccentric heads are better than one after all. Of course, if you want I can go in and get someone else to help you inside instead; I wouldn't be offended if you did." Luna replied dreamily, and Merlin found himself touched beyond words at her unconditional kindness. Seriously, he could live for 5000 more years and the fathomless depths of human kindness would still continue to floor him. His smile grew to almost cartoon-like proportions, and he walked up the rest of the stairs to stand beside her at the entrance to their common room.

"Luna, there's no one I'd rather put my head together with than you." He promised her, and in a rare moment of emotional nakedness Luna beamed at him, and the genuine warmth he saw in that single expression enchanted him beyond words. All and all, this was one of the better conclusions to Merlin's 'first' day as a transfer student at Hogwarts.


End file.
